D.C. Fire and EMS Battalion Chief Keith Long dies suddenly in line of duty

D.C. Fire and EMS Battalion Chief Keith Long, a 38-year veteran of the department, died suddenly while on duty Wednesday.

At the time of his death, District fire officials said, Mr. Long was working as a safety battalion chief. Fire officials did not specify Mr. Long’s cause of death or explain where he was working at the time of his death.

Safety battalion chiefs work under the department’s health and safety division, which “ensures our member’s safety” and “evolves dynamically to meet the dynamic risks of the firefighting profession and the distinctive needs of DC Fire and EMS personnel,” according to the division’s website.

Typically, city firefighters work for 24 hours to be available for emergencies, followed by 72 hours away from work. On Wednesday, the fire department’s platoon 3 responded to “641 calls, including 459 EMS calls, 114 fire calls, and 68 other calls” with “1,272 emergency vehicle responses and 234 patient transports,” fire officials said on X.