BLACK RIVER, N.Y. — April 11th — Volunteer Assistant Fire Chief Garrett William Loomis passed away on April 11, 2010, while responding to a silo fire, and members of the Rutland Vol. Fire Department acknowledged his line-of-duty death. Chief Loomis was working at a farm fire involving a 60-foot oxygen-limiting silo when an explosion forced a portion of the outer ladder to separate, leading to a tragic fall, according to the U.S. Fire Administration investigation.

Firefighters were urged by department officials to consider the USFA guidelines about dust collecting systems, agricultural dangers, and silo fires. During training exercises, members were also asked to find comparable structures in their reaction zones and talk about operating safety protocols.