RAINSBORO, Ohio – A firefighter and emergency medical technician was killed Sunday in an accident at a Highland County fire station.
Joe Patterson was working with compressed air cylinders at the Paint Creek Joint EMS & Fire District station when he was fatally injured, according to a news release. Patterson leaves behind a wife and three children.
The accident occurred about 2:15 p.m. at the station at 12500 U.S. Route 50, about 10 miles east of Hillsboro.
A medical helicopter transported Patterson to Kettering Medical Center, where he died, according to Paint Creek Joint EMS & Fire.
The Highland County Sheriff’s Department is assisting in the investigation.
Paint Creek Joint EMS & Fire honored Patterson's life Monday.
"He was just an all-around good guy," Branden Jackman said. "He never had an unkind word for somebody. He was always happy, he was always smiling, he was always tinkering with something."
Patterson was a firefighter since 2004 and an EMT since 2008. He'd been working for Paint Creek part time for three years, and also worked for other area departments.
Chief David Manning asked for prayers for Patterson's family, and the department.
"We're trying to do everything to honor him, to learn from it and to get better from here," he said.
Additional memorial details for Patterson will be announced in the coming days.
