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Honoring a fallen fireman
Washington Fire Department was preparing Monday for an outpouring of mourners for the funeral for a firefighter killed a day earlier in the line of duty.
The city also on Monday asked for flags to be lowered to half staff to honor Jeremy Charles LaBella, 27, who died when a roof fell on him at a fire at an old Harley-Davidson cycle shop.
"We're just grateful for all the help we're getting," said Joe Manning, captain of the city's paid fire department.
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"As you can see, we're getting a lot of help," Manning said at the fire department Monday, where many volunteers were answering nonstop telephone calls about LaBella's funeral. "It's just a huge thing to coordinate."
Visitation will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. today and 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in William G. Neal Funeral Home at 925 Allison Ave., Washington. The funeral is planned for 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church, 119 W. Chestnut St., Washington.
Firefighters had yet to schedule a fireman's service, where five bells will be rung four times to signify a fallen firefighter, Manning said.
LaBella, who was hired in August in a city struggling to afford its fire department, apparently suffocated Sunday when he became trapped under a canopy that collapsed with the garage roof, Manning said. The Washington County coroner was awaiting further testing before ruling on the cause of his death.
Members of the department barely had time to get to know LaBella, who had been volunteering with the neighboring Canton Township Fire Department since age 14, Manning said.
"He was a really good guy, easy to get along with," he said.
The fire department was called to a house and garage owned by Edwin Korby about 9:40 a.m. and found fire burning through the garage roof and spreading to the residence. The fire later was traced to electric heat tape wrapped around a water pipe to keep the water from freezing in the garage at 1273-75 Allison Ave.
LaBella and engineer George McMullen were among the first to arrive. As the fire spread, the garage roof collapsed, bringing with it a canopy covering the sidewalk where the firefighters were standing.
On Monday, members of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association were in the city helping with the filing of reports on the death. Union firefighters in Pittsburgh also were in Washington lending a hand, Manning said.
"Everything we do, every effort we take is for the comfort of his family," he added.
LaBella was single and lived with his parents, Charles and Pam.
A memorial fund has been established in his honor. Donations can be mailed to the Jeremy Charles LaBella Fund, Community Bank, 90 W. Chestnut St., Washington, PA 15301.
