JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department is mourning the loss of one of its beloved engineers. JFRD announced the death of Jason Woodruff on Wednesday. Woodruff, 53, died from job-related brain cancer, which is considered a line-of-duty death.
Woodruff was assigned to Fire Station 19 in Arlington and served with the department for 11 years. There, the American flag is positioned at half-staff in memory of Engineer Woodruff. Fire Chief Keith Powers said he is remembered as a dedicated, compassionate public servant. But in the end, what mattered most was his family at home.
“I went and saw him a couple times at the house,” Chief Powers said. “His wife, Jennifer, was a nurse and she actually quit her job just to stay home and take care of him all the way to the end. Which shows how much family meant to him and to her.”
Engineer Woodruff’s death comes as the fire department still grieves two other firefighters who died this year. Chief Powers said the emotions are being felt in his department.
“They have feelings too, even though they’re the big, tough superheroes, right?” Chief Powers said. “They go out and do all the rescues and save people’s lives. They do have feelings and families and they worry about their families while they’re gone. And it kind of stirs up those thoughts. ‘What if I never go home again? Is my family going to be okay’?”
According to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, firefighters have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer, and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general population in the United States.
“It’s an inherently dangerous job just because of the normal stuff that we see them exposed to. The chance of getting hit on an accident scene or getting killed in a fire,” Chief Powers said. “But it’s just kind of this silent killer that’s really hurting the fire service right now.”
Chief Powers said his department does what it can to mitigate the risk. This includes protocols that require them to get deconned. Seconds sets of bunker gear are available for them to use while their first set is being washed. In addition, Powers said washers, gear washers, and extractors are in most of the fire stations and their protective gear is good quality. But still, he says there is only so much you can do.
“You can’t do anything about the products of combustion they’re exposed to when they go to these fires,” Chief Powers said. “Your skin still absorbs that stuff. And for days after the fire, you can still smell that smoke, smell that fire smell coming out of your skin.”
Now, as the department prepares to lay Engineer Woodruff to rest, Chief Powers thinks of the 26 names on the memorial wall outside station 1 in downtown Jacksonville, knowing they all sacrificed to protect the community. That now includes Engineer Woodruff.
“They give to the community and give to the community and give to the community serving,” Chief Powers said. “And then they get on their deathbed, and they’re fixing to die, and all they care about is somebody else, still. It’s got something to do with that servant heart that they have.”
Woodruff is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and their children. His memorial service is being arranged. News4jax will update this article when that information is finalized.