An Arvada firefighter and EMT has died as a result of cancer related to his work, according to fire department officials. His passing is being considered a line-of-duty death, as the department says the cancer was connected to burn injuries he sustained after rescuing a fellow firefighter.
Kevin “KJ” Jacovetta died on Friday, the Arvada Fire Protection District said in a statement on Monday. He joined the department as a volunteer in 1988 and became a full-time firefighter in 1999.
In 2011, Jacovetta was severely burned while rescuing another firefighter from a house fire, for which he earned the Medal of Valor. After recovering from his injuries, he returned to duty, but complications from those injuries led to his retirement in 2021 and his cancer diagnosis in 2023…