A Tribute to Two Fallen Houston Fire Fighters

James Harlow

April 20, 2009 – Thousands of family and friends of fire fighters gathered at the Grace Community Church April 16 in Houston, Texas, to remember fallen Houston Local 341 fire fighters James Harlow, 50, and Damion Hobbs, 29. The two died responding to a house fire on Easter Sunday morning.

From Houston’s fire station 26, where Harlow and Hobbs both worked, a sea of fire fighters marched while the two caskets were escorted by two ladder trucks to the church.

IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger attended the service and offered these words in remembrance of the two Local 341 members. “Each one of our fallen is a great and tragic loss. Each one requires our undivided celebration and attention; thus we gather from across two great nations to honor and celebrate their lives and mourn their loss,” said General President Schaitberger.

Schaitberger later added, “I know James and Damion considered themselves lucky to be part of the Houston Fire Department and Local 341, but the truth is, we were the lucky ones to have had them among our ranks.”

Damion Hobbs

Harlow, a 30-year veteran fire fighter, and Hobbs, a rookie on his first fire, were among the first to respond to the early morning house fire. Upon arriving at the scene, the two went inside with other fire fighters to conduct an interior attack and to search for any trapped victims.

When the fire became too intense, a call to evacuate was issued, but Harlow and Hobbs never made it out. The residents of the home made it out safely.

The deaths of the two fire fighters, the seventh in the Houston Fire Department since 2000, are under investigation by federal and state fire authorities. An internal inquiry is also being conducted by the Houston Fire Department.

Both posthumously received the Medals of Honor from the IAFF and the Houston Fire Department.