HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — A family and community are mourning the loss of a father, husband and veteran firefighter from South Florida who died hours after tirelessly working to help those affected by flooding in the Miami-Dade metro area during this past weekend's storms.
Chris Allen, a 23-year veteran of the Hollywood Fire Rescue Department passed away Monday of a heart attack, hours after finishing a 48-hour shift, according to CBS Miami.
He served as a driver engineer and was the only one trained to operate and maneuver the department's brand-new high water rescue truck, the news outlet reported. The truck was needed as many people became stranded and stuck in flood waters brought by heavy rain and storms from then-Potential Tropical Cyclone One.
"He was the best man for the job," one firefighter at a memorial service told CBS Miami.
His death is considered a line of duty death, and on Tuesday he was given a full firefighter funeral with honors.
"Chris was a husband and father of two, and he played an integral role in the department and our community," Hollywood city leaders wrote on Facebook. "He will be greatly missed."
His daughter tells 10 Tampa Bay he served nine years in the Army.
On Saturday, CBS Miami said the downtown Miami region grappled with drainage concerns fueled by rising water levels in the river and bay.
At the time, firefighters said at least half a dozen different high water vehicles were out responding over the weekend to reports of people needing to be rescued from their cars.
