By Terry Leahy
Mar 11, 2021
A veteran volunteer firefighter/paramedic dies in the line of duty at the scene of a large Washington County brushfire on Wednesday.
In a tweet, the Ponca Hills Fire Department says Dennis Bender passed away as the result of a medical emergency.
The Department says he had served Ponca Hills Fire and that community in the north part of the Metro for 50 years, and was among the first certified paramedics in the state of Nebraska.
In fact, Dennis Bender was the senior paramedic in Nebraska.
(Image from Fort Calhoun Fire/Rescue)
KLKN-TV
Ponca Hills firefighter passes away fighting brush fire
The Ponca Hills Volunteer Fire Department lost a firefighter who had served them for 50 years
March 11, 2021 6:20 am
courtesy: Ponca Hills Fire Department
PONCA HILLS, Neb. (KLKN)- The Ponca Hills Volunteer Fire Department had a sad announcement to make–the death of one of their own.
Ponca Hills Firefighter Paramedic Dennis M. Bender passed away as the result of a medical emergency while working on a large brush fire east of Fort Calhoun in rural Washington County. Firefighter Bender had served the Ponca Hills department for 50 years. He was a Certified Paramedic in the state of Nebraska at when he died he was the senior active Paramedic in the state.
Firefighter dies while battling brush fire north of Omaha
March 11, 2021 GMT
FORT CALHOUN, Neb. (AP) A volunteer with a fire department in the Omaha area has died while helping fight a brush fire near Fort Calhoun.
Dennis Bender was a volunteer with the Ponca Hills Fire Department. He suffered a medical emergency on Wednesday and died as he helped battle the large blaze in Washington County fueled by dry brush and strong winds, Ponca Hills Fire Chief Joel Sacks said. Crews had the fire under control by Wednesday evening.
Bender was one of dozens of crews from several department called in to help. Sacks said Bender was one of the state’s longest-serving paramedics and had served in the Ponca Hills department for 50 years.