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Randy Surratt - Houston Fire Station 19,
Houston, Texas

Randy Surratt served as a Houston Fire fighter for HFD Station 19 since he was a rookie in 2000.

We honor Randy and his sweet family.

We also are grateful for the firefighters of HFD Station 19. They are selfless brothers to each other and to Randy.

Randy passed away at the young age of 35, on Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 from a battle with Lymphoma. Randy's Station 19 brothers were there for Randy and his family as they fought to help their best friend fight his battle with cancer. The Houston Fire Department has suffered a great loss.

His brothers from Station 19 say:

"Thank you, to everyone who was with Randy in body, spirit and prayer during his battle.We are all better for having known Randy and what he stood for.To his family and his children:

We, the brotherhood of firefighters, are here for you now and in the future. Do not hesitate to ask us for help. We will continue our efforts to support Randy's children. Events and fundraising efforts will continue as planned,with all proceeds going directly to Randy's two kids,Merranda and Caleb.

Rest peacefully now Randy,

We love you, and will miss you."

This link will take you to HFD Station 19's own website.

Harris joined the department in 1991, and had spent his entire career at the 109-year-old fire house at E. Grand Boulevard and Moran that houses Engine 23 and Squad 3.
His oldest son, James Hill Harris, is also a Detroit firefighter.

Walt Harris, 37, who was married and the father of six children, died after the roof collapsed on an attic in a house at Sheridan and Kirby. The collapse occurred after the crews had extinguished most of the blaze, and were beginning to mop up. Attempts to revive Harris at the scene and at a hospital were unsuccessful. Deliberate fires in vacant structures have long posed a problem for Detroit firefighters.


Last year, more than half of the city's blazes were classified as suspicious, meaning investigators initially believed the fires were set or that there was no obvious cause, such as an electrical source.


The area around Sheridan and Kirby is filled with vacant lots and abandoned homes, many of them scarred by fires.


Walter P. Harris
Senior Firefighter
Engine 23, 6th Battalion

(Active)
Lived: 9/11/70 to 11/15/2008
Served: 3/11/1991 to 11/15/2008

More about Walter Harris...

Probationary Firefighter Damion Hobbs, 29, graduated from the HFD Val Jahnke Training Facility on March 3, 2009, with Class 2008C, after serving twice with the U.S. Army in Iraq.

Hobbs was born and raised in Alvin, where his close-knit family members still live together on the same piece of land off County Road 147. Reached by telephone on Sunday afternoon, his father, Jon Garland Hobbs, said his son actually joined the fire department twice, but the first time his training was interrupted when he shipped off to Iraq. Hobbs joined the Army a decade ago, not long after graduating from Alvin High School.
Originally assigned to the 1st Cavalry at Fort Hood, the staff sergeant was still active with the Air National Guard reserve out of Ellington, 1/149 D Company, at the time of his death, DeShazer said.
He returned home from a 14-month deployment to Iraq in July 2007 and started classes at HFD’s Val Jahnke Training Facility less than a year later. His first assignment at Fire Station 26 began on March 7.

Damion died on Sunday, April 12th, 2009 while on duty as a brave fireman.

More on Damion Hobbs...

James Harlow spent 30 years with the Houston Fire Department. He was named captain at Fire Station 26 in 2004.

Harlow’s crew member and fellow firefighter David Watson mourned the loss of his captain on Sunday.
“It’s just feels like a bad dream and he’ll be there when we come back to work,” said Watson, 40, who has worked on Harlow’s crew at Fire Station 26 for about five years.
A devoted husband, father and grandfather, Harlow was a respectable and approachable captain, who made sure his crew members were always comfortable approaching him, Watson said.
“If you had anything you needed to talk about whether it was about the fire department or family, you could talk to him,” Watson said. “He had an open-door policy.”
On fire scenes, Watson said Harlow was quick and precise, always ready to tackle a challenge. With fire victims, he had a caring and helpful demeanor.
“Even if he was tired, he wouldn’t shortchange you of good service,” Watson said.
No matter what the situation, Harlow was an optimist. In his East-Texas accent, he would spout his reassuring motto, “Everything is going to be all right.”
“That will be his legacy at the station and we’ll be passing it on to the next generation,” Watson said. “Somebody else will be able to do the job and fill those shoes, but no one will be able to fill the kind of man that he was.”
In Alvin, Hobbs’ colleagues from both the military and the fire department also rallied around his grieving relatives on Sunday to remember a man with a strong sense of duty who never shied from danger.
“He was kind of a little bit of an adrenaline junkie,” DeShazer said. “He liked speed and he liked excitement, but at the same time he was very down-to-earth and liked to stay close to home.”

James Arthur Harlow, Sr. passed away while on duty April 12, 2009 while on duty as a brave firefighter. He served with the Houston Fire Department for 29 years, 3 months, 15 days. He had served as Captain at Fire Station 26 since 2004.

More on Captain Harlow...

Probationary firefighter Christopher Jason Boisvert won many awards playing hockey, and he enjoyed many other sports, including baseball, golf, rugby, snowboarding, biking and skydiving. After graduating from the fire academy at Houston Community College, he started with HFD at Station 25 in November 2007.

Christopher died off-duty May 30, 2008. He was 25 years old. He is survived by his parents, Mike and Debra; grandparents, Albert and Elisa Sidoni; sister, Alexis Boisvert; half sister, Michelle Boisvert; and many other family members.

What his friend says about him, "Jason Benjamin has been a friend of mine for 3 yrs. He's such a great friend to me and I know I can always count on him for just about anything. He's a Fire Captain for the Oak Ridge Tennessee Fire Department. He also is a loving husband to Sasha and proud father to Courtney. Not only is he a firefighter, he also use to be a wrestler at the age of 16. He's also is an actor, fight choreographer and stunt man. You pretty much can say he's a jack of all trades. I admire what he does and I'm proud to say I'm one of his huge supporters!"

Robert Horst is 38 years old. What his friend says about him, "I have known him for only 8 months but I feel like I've known him my whole life. He works for the Detroit Fire Department at Ladder 13 Engine 33 Fire Station. He's a father of 6 year old Dominic. He is a hard worker, great friend and loving father." 

Firefighter Michael Allen Mays 29, was born on December 11, 1978, in Pasadena, Texas. Michael died off duty June 24, 2008. He was 29. Mays was a member of HFD assigned to Station 46, Pasadena Fire Department, Channelview Fire Department, and Sheldon Community Fire Department. He is survived by his parents, Chester and Sabrina Mays and Pam and Caesar Cuellar; brother, Jeremy Mays; and other family. Funeral services were June 27 at South Main Baptist Church with interment in the Grand View Memorial Park.

More on Michael Mays...