(FOX40.COM) — The Stockton Fire Department received condolences from fire agencies across the region after sharing the news of the death of Firefighter Robert “Bobby” Van Ruiten on Saturday.
Van Ruiten was off-duty when he died on Jan. 3 and had been with the Stockton Fire Department since March 2021, according to the Stockton Fire Department.
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Before being employed by the fire department he began as a volunteer in the Explorer Program in 2015 and then moved on to become an Auxiliary Firefighter from 2016 to 2021.
Calling Firehouse 3 home over the last few years, Van Ruiten recently took up training new recruits as a Cadre Member.
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“We extend our deepest condolences and prayers to the family, friends, and colleagues of Firefighter Van Ruiten,” the Stockton Fire Department wrote. “Our hearts are heavy with the sadness of this loss.”
The Manteca Fire Department, Lodi Fire Department, El Dorado Hills Fire Department and Suisun City Fire Department shared their condolences for Van Ruiten’s family and the Stockton Fire Department.