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Edward J. Matter, Jr.

Firefighter

Firefighter Matter and other members of his Department were dispatched to a report of a tree down blocking the roadway. Firefighter Matter and another fire department member arrived at the scene in their personal vehicles, each carried his own chain saw. They set to work removing parts of the tree from the roadway. The firefighters agreed that they would use a rope to pull the remnants of the tree to the ground to make a safer operation. While the rope was being prepared, Firefighter Matter continued to remove loose debris and began to use his chain saw to cut at one of the larger branches supporting the tree. Firefighter Matter was caught and carried by the tree as it rotated and became pinned face down under the largest section of the tree. Despite immediate removal of the tree by other firefighters, Firefighter Matter died from crushing injuries.
photo of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
Edward J. Matter, Jr. was honored on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland and was included in the USFA’s annual report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States.

Department information

Westford Volunteer Fire Department
Post Office Box 24

Westford, New York 13488

Chief: Ralph Ritton

Age: 56
Rank: Firefighter
Classification: Volunteer
Incident date: March 8, 1998 21:10
Date of death: March 8, 1998
Cause of death: Struck By
Nature of death: Trauma
Activity type: Salvage and Overhaul
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: On-Scene Non-Fire
Fixed property use: Outdoor Property

Last updated: June 13, 2012

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Honoring line-of-duty deaths in 2019