Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Charlotte Oliver | HOLLYWOOD, Maryland (July 6, 2023) – Captain Derrick Kingsley, commanding officer...... read more read more
They run in when others run out. They are the first ones in and the last ones out. They are the brave men and women of the fire service. Firefighters. Each has their own story of their call to service, and sometimes that service culminates with the ultimate sacrifice.
Firefighters from across the states of Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania gathered to say one final goodbye to one of their own. The funeral of Naval Air Station Patuxent River Firefighter Brice Trossbach was held at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department in Hollywood, Maryland, July 6, 2023.
Trossbach tragically died while responding to a mutual aid call of a structure fire in Leonardtown, Maryland, dedicating his life to protect and serve the community he loved. He was 25.
Trossbach grew up following his father’s footsteps, often tagging along with his dad to the Leonardtown Fire Station. He began his own firefighting career at the age of 16, starting as a volunteer firefighter with that same Leonardtown fire department before joining the ranks of the Naval District Washington Fire Department in 2019.
Those who knew Trossbach as that young man said it makes his loss especially hard.
Nearly 3,000 firefighters, friends and family attended his funeral with many reminiscing with stories of Trossbach.
Naval District Washing Region Fire Chief Kevin Grinder spoke of the profound loss of Trossbach.
“The last ten days my faith in humanity has been renewed, even though my heart has been broken,” said Grinder. “I have observed hundreds of fire and EMS providers from around the DMV and around the country, stop what they’re doing, put their families and jobs aside to ensure Brice’s send off today was fit for a hero. To those you who put Brice’s send off as your top priority, I thank you.”
Grinder thanked, not only the community Trossbach served, but his family as well.
“Thank you for sharing Brice with us and the entire St. Mary’s County community. Thank you for raising a son committed to his community and his friends and putting their needs above his.”
NAS Patuxent River District Fire Chief Cliff Montgomery shared found memories of the man affectionately called “Brucie”.
“In my career I’ve seen several line of duty deaths and I’ve wondered how these chiefs deal with this,” said Montgomery. “It’s a club I never asked to be member of, but I do know I’ll never be able to cancel my membership. The answer is this, we have to go on. We’re firemen, that’s what we do.”
Fighting back tears, Montgomery said how firefighters take care of each other and take care of those they’re in charge of.
Taking care of each other included Montgomery spending time with the firefighters that were with Trossbach at the time of his passing. Time spent gathering Trossbach’s belongings, making his bed, folding his clothes, and closing his locker for the last time.
“There was no way them guys were going to let anyone else do those menial tasks that meant so much,” said Montgomery, wiping his tears, and finished by telling some moments of that worse part of that day. “Engine 132 arrived on the scene and Brucie turned around and said ‘we got work, boys.’”
As pallbearers, consisting of family and fellow firefighters, escorted his flag draped casket to a waiting fire truck while two more held a massive American flag hung between the two from their extended ladders.
Following the service, dozens of fire apparatuses from Maryland and Virginia led the procession from the fire department to the Charles Memorial Garden for a graveside service. The procession made its way through St. Mary’s County, passing landmarks that meant much to Trossbach and underscored his service to the Southern Maryland Community: Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Leonardtown and Bay District Volunteer Fire Departments, and the Trossbach family farm. Grateful members of the community lined the procession route along the way, braving the summer heat to render honors to a fallen hero.
In the presence of hundreds of mourners, Trossbach was laid to rest in Leonardtown, his memory and sacrifice indelibly marked on all in attendance.
Trossbach is survived by his parents, Warren and Diane Trossbach; his fiancée, Cheyenne Sederbaum; and his brother Jared, his wife Kaitlyn and their son Rhett.
| Date Taken: | 07.06.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.10.2023 15:49 |
| Story ID: | 448843 |
| Location: | HOLLYWOOD, MARYLAND, US |
| Hometown: | LEONARDTOWN, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 379 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Last Alarm: Naval Air Station Patuxent River Firefighter Laid to Rest, by PO1 Charlotte Oliver, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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