A routine overnight shift at a Hermitage fire hall turned tragic early Tuesday when a Nashville firefighter suffered a medical episode and later died, officials said.
The firefighter, identified by the Nashville Fire Department as Wayne Barry Jr., experienced a medical emergency at the Andrew Jackson Parkway fire hall and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Metro Nashville Police have opened an investigation into the circumstances of his death.
Barry Jr. was taken from the station to Summit Medical Center after going into medical distress at about 2 a.m., according to WSMV. The station reported that he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital and that the Nashville Fire Department is cooperating with investigators.
Where It Happened
The Andrew Jackson Parkway location is Metro Fire Station 32 in Hermitage. The city lists the station at 4248 Andrew Jackson Parkway and notes that it opened in 2020 as a LEED-certified facility, according to Nashville.gov. Station 32 serves the Hermitage and Old Hickory areas and houses both engine and medic companies.
Hospital And Response
Barry Jr. was transported to TriStar Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, a full-service hospital campus listed at 5655 Frist Boulevard, where he was pronounced dead. Hospital details are posted on the TriStar Summit site and were referenced in local reporting about the incident.
On-Duty Medical Emergencies Are A Leading Risk
Sudden cardiac events and other medical emergencies consistently account for a large share of on-duty firefighter deaths nationwide, according to data from the NFPA. National fire-service and occupational-safety research has long urged routine medical screening and fitness programs to help reduce those risks…