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Archival logbooks recall a former chief who died responding to a blaze
Summary
Fire Chief Joe Mirra recounts finding a logbook entry that records Chief Stevens's death while responding to a fire, a story he said exemplifies the department's "service over self" legacy.
While preparing a presentation for the Leesburg Historical Society, Fire Chief Joe Mirra said he reviewed bound logbooks that record early incidents and personnel. In one entry Mirra said he found documentation about Chief Stevens, a chief who died after a fire; Mirra said the log shows Stevens wrote reports before the incident and his brother signed subsequent pages.
Mirra described the account in the logbook and framed it as emblematic of a department culture that places service above self. "It's a excellent example of what's in our DNA, and that is the service over self," Mirra said. He noted the logbook suggests Chief Stevens likely died from carbon monoxide poisoning but the transcript preserves Mirra's phrasing rather than a medical determination.
Mirra used the story to underline the continuity of commitment across generations as the department marks its 150th anniversary.
