Updated at 10:50 p.m.
Hawkins County firefighters are mourning the loss of 20-year veteran David Schnepp, 43, who died at home Monday morning a few hours after responding to two consecutive emergencies.
At 5:02 p.m. Sunday, Schnepp and the Carters Valley Volunteer Fire Department responded to a brush fire on Morning Star Road. At about 9 p.m., CVVFD was dispatched to assist with a residential fire on Route 70-N near Rogersville.
Although Schnepp staged to respond to that fire, he stayed behind at the fire station as backup in case another emergency occurred.
CVVFD Chief Mike Yates said Schnepp worked on a fire truck for the rest of the night and texted another firefighter at about 12:30 a.m. Monday that he was going home.
Yates said Schnepp’s wife called 911 at about 7 a.m. Monday for medical assistance for Schnepp, who later succumbed to an undetermined medical emergency.
The cause of death wasn’t available Monday. Schnepp was taken to the Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City for an autopsy.
Yates said Schnepp’s death falls within the guidelines of being in the line of duty.
“It was within 24 hours of his response to an emergency, and that’s within the timeline they use for line-of-duty deaths,” Yates said.
Schnepp had been with the Carters Valley Volunteer Fire Department for about three years.
Yates said Schnepp had more than 20 years of firefighting experience overall in Hawkins County, having previously served with the Lakeview, Bulls Gap and Striggersville fire departments.
Hawkins County Emergency Management Agency director Gary Murrell told the Times-News that this is Hawkins County’s first death of a firefighter in the line of duty.
Murrell announced Schnepp’s death at the Hawkins County Commission meeting Monday evening. Commission chaplain Dwight Carter asked that everyone keep Schnepp’s family and colleagues in their prayers during this difficult time.
Murrell told the commission Monday that funeral arrangements for Schnepp were incomplete and will be announced by Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home.
Schnepp was the second CVVFD firefighter to die in three days.
On Saturday, founding CVVFD member Jack Gregg, 83, died of natural causes. Graveside services are scheduled this morning for Gregg, who was serving as department treasurer at the time of his death.
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CARTERS VALLEY — Hawkins County firefighters are mourning the loss of 20 year veteran David Schnepp, 43, whose in-the-line of duty death occurred after fighting a brush fire Sunday evening.
Carters Valley Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mike Yates said details of Schnepp’s death would be released sometime Monday evening by the Tennessee Federation of Fire Chaplains.
The CVVFD was dispatched to a brush fire at 5:02 p.m. Sunday, and Yates said Schnepp died sometime after that call ended.
Schnepp had been with the Carters Valley Volunteer Fire Department for about three years, and previously served with the Lakeview, Bulls Gap and Striggersville fire departments, and served more than 20 years.
Hawkins County Emergency Management Agency director Gary Murrell told the Times-News that is Hawkins County’s first in-the-line-of-duty death of a firefighter.
The Times-News will release more information as it becomes available.