Rutland-Dundee firefighter dies following medical emergency while training

A Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District firefighter who suffered a medical emergency during a training exercise last week has died, officials announced Sunday.

Greg Witt died as a result of the medical issue, which he experienced during the scheduled training event Oct. 21, the agency reported.

Fellow firefighters treated him at the scene before taking him to a hospital, where he was in critical condition before his death.

Officials have not disclosed what caused the emergency.

“Greg was a member of our family,” Rutland-Dundee Fire Chief Christopher Reedy said in Sunday’s announcement. “He served his country as a Marine and served this community as a firefighter, and he did both with honor.

“Our hearts are with Greg’s family, and with every member of this department who served alongside him,” Reedy added. “We ask that everyone give them the time and space they need to grieve.”

Witt joined the Gilberts-based fire district in January 2019, according to Reedy.

Tributes from other fire agencies and firefighter unions poured in Sunday night after news of Witt’s passing broke.

“The fire service is more than a profession. It is a brotherhood and sisterhood built on trust, sacrifice, and a commitment to being there for one another and the communities we serve,” Bloomingdale Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 3272 said in a social media post. “When we lose one of our own, the loss is felt far beyond the walls of a single firehouse. It touches all of us who share this calling.”

Funeral arrangements have not been made, but will be shared once Witt’s family has made those decisions and is ready to make them public, officials said Sunday.

ckeeshan@dailyherald.com