WASHINGTON — An Emergency Services specialist for U.S. Secret Service died Wednesday while fighting a four-alarm fire as a Lutherville, Md., volunteer firefighter in Baltimore County.
Mark G. Falkenhan, 43, a four year employee of the Secret Service, died in a blaze, which was called in as a kitchen fire around at 6:18 p.m., according to a press release from the Baltimore County Fire Protection, Emergency Medical Services and Rescue. The fire quickly escalated.
“On Wednesday evening, January 19, the U.S. Secret Service lost not only a dedicated employee, but a close friend, colleague and public servant,” U.S. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan said in a statement.
“Mark is one of many Secret Service employees who volunteer their off-duty time to local fire and emergency rescue departments. Mark’s devotion to public service was indicative of the strength of character he possessed and we share in the grief of his loss.”
The blaze seemed to escalate quickly, authorities said.
At some point Falkenhan, who was on the third floor search for fire victims, called a “mayday” to indicate he was in distress, authorities said.
His partner was able to escape through a window on the third floor. Firefighters rescued him from the third floor and moved him to the balcony.
Medic personnel then administered advanced life support measures and transported him to St. Joseph Medical Center.
Fire crews rescued two civilians who were critically injured, authorities said.
Falkenhan was part of the Emergency Medicine Section at the Secret Service’s James J. Rowley Training Center just outside Washington.
He was responsible for providing emergency medicine, rescue and fire-fighting services at the training facility, as well as training Secret Service agents,
officers and other critical response employees to respond to life threatening incidents.
