Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

SOUTH KINGSTOWN R.I. -- The funeral for volunteer firefighter Allan "Pickles" LePage, who died Tuesday from injuries suffered Monday at the Kingston Fire District station near the University of Rhode Island campus, will be held 10 a.m. Saturday in URI's Ryan Center.

The wake is set for 3 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Avery-Storti Funeral home in Wakefield, a spokesman for South Kingstown's two fire districts said Wednesday.

Burial will be private.

Kingston Fire Chief Nathan Barrington told a news conference Wednesday that it was still not known specifically how LePage suffered the massive head injury that took his life.

Another volunteer firefighter emerged from the district staion around 2:45 p.m. Monday and noticed LeFage, bleeding heavily and unconcious, about 20 feet off the ground in the bucket of a fire truck's tower ladder. There was speculation that Lepage, who maintained the fire district's apparatus, may have hit his head on the top of the rear bay door, or some other part the building.

"We do not know at this time what caused this expert in ladder truck operations to be injured by the truck he knew so well and trained so many to operate," Barrington said. "This will be a focus of the ongoing investigation."

Barrington said it was also not known what LePage was doing in the truck, since he was "not performing any documented or known maintenance function on either the apparatus or building."

According to fire officials, a rescue crew was on the road about 2 miles away when it heard the emergency call and responded to the station. LePage was taken to South County Hospital and later airlifted to Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, where he died at 10:55 Wednesday morning.

Barringrton said the truck in question was independently tested last month and had been found to have no major or critical issues. He said the truck will be out of service until it is tested by another independent certified party.

Barrington said that at the suggestion of several of his fellow firefighters, LePage's family agreed to have his organs donated.

"In my 30-year association with the fire district, 'Pic' has been a constant," Barrington said. "He was friend, a tireless firefighter and truly defines the best in a firefighter and neighbor. He grumbled a lot but never failed to try new things and always, always thought of his duty, his neighbors, his brothers and sisters of the fire community before himself."'

With reports from Donita Naylor and Richard C. Dujardin

The original version of this story was posted at 3:29 p.m.

 Tags  Allan "Pickles" LePage South Kingstown RI

Comments

Richard Brillhart said:

I worked with 'Pickles' in the 1960's and 1970's.
He was a fine individual who spoke his mind. We fought many a fire together and you could always depend on him. We are the same age and I too am still volunteering, but I'm down in Texas. My sympathy to his wife and son.

Link | July 2, 2009 3:48 AM
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chris said:

I worked with Pickles, during my time at KFD in the early 90's. By then he was already a highly respected Grand Old Man of the department. As far as I was concerned, Pickles WAS the ladder company, and Ladder 2 was HIS truck. This is a tragic loss not only for his family and friends, but also for the community he served selflessly for so many years.

We will all miss you.

Link | July 2, 2009 2:18 PM
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