DETROIT – The Detroit Fire Department is paying tribute to a 20-year veteran who died while on duty.
Kevin Ramsey suffered an apparent heart attack Saturday afternoon. He started having chest pains after battling two fires.
"He was a wonderful, wonderful guy and a hell of fireman," said Michael Nevin, of the Detroit Fire Fighters Association.
Ramsey grew up in Detroit and served his city proudly.
"This is a born-bred-raised city boy all the way," Nevin said. "He knew the streets and he knew the people in the streets."
Ramsey was in the streets doing what he did best: knocking down fires, when tragedy struck.
"Kevin fought two fires today back to back," Detroit Fire commissioner Eric Jones said.
Around 10 a.m., Ramsey and his squad were called to East Outer Drive. He and the unit then moved right over to a second fire on Mackay Street by 1:30 p.m. By the time the engine returned to fire station nearly four hours later shortly after 2 p.m., the 50-year-old was going into cardiac arrest.
"His brothers at the fire station noticed he didn't look well. They immediately began treatment," Jones said.
His brothers rushed him Detroit Receiving Hospital, where doctors couldn't revive him.
Ramsey considered his fellow firefighters at Engine 23 family. On his wedding day, he and his wife, Amy, made sure to swing by the fire house to see his brothers. They brought him joy and he definitely was a ray of sunshine in midst of bad days.
"On the coldest winter day with highest snow, he'd say something to make you laugh, on the hottest summer day, he'd come up with something to make you laugh," Nevin said. "He didn't have a negative bone in his body."
Officials said Ramsey was a member of Squad 3 on Detroit's east side.