Cobourg Firefighter Posthumously Awarded Medal for Line of Duty Death

Pete Fisher
3 years ago
• Categories: Editor Choice, Local

A Cobourg firefighter was posthumously awarded the Martin E. Pierce medal from the International Association of Fire Fighters on Monday, October 4, 2021.

Retired Platoon Chief Donald F. King served with the Cobourg Fire Department from August 1967 to September 1998.
King started his career as a firefighter with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1962 to 1966. From then he joined the Oakville Fire Service from 1966-1967 before joining the Cobourg Fire Department.

Retired Platoon Chief King’s death was recognized as a line of duty death due to him being diagnosed with an occupational illness that he succumbed too on October 4, 2020.

The ceremony was held at the Cobourg Firehall on Elgin Street exactly one year to the day of Platoon Chief King’s death.

In the world of firefighting anything can happen at anytime and as the presentation was about to take place, firefighters received a medical call and had to leave the firehall immediately. The service was delayed until the firefighters arrived back at the firehall.

Presenting the Martin E. Pierce Medal to Ms. King was Vice President of the Cobourg Professional Firefighters Association Local 1732 Jeff Briggs (firefighter), along with President Scott MacDonald (Captain) and member Rachel Dunbrack (firefighter).

The Martin E. Pierce commemorative medal honours firefighters who have died in the line of duty. The medal from the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is named for a Boston firefighter who dedicated his life to improving firefighters’ working conditions and the lives of their families.

King’s name was added to the IAFF wall of honour in Colorado Springs on September 18, 2021 and was also added to the Ontario Fallen Firefighters Memorial wall in Toronto on October 3, 2021.

King is the fourth firefighter from Cobourg to die in the line of duty. On April 25, 1878 Cobourg firefighters James L. Forrest, George R. Stephenson and Charles W.A. Patterson were killed in a fire at the Windsor Hotel on Division Street.