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Michael “Coop” Eugene Cooper

Assistant Fire Chief

At 1934hrs on January 30, 2015, Centerville firefighters were dispatched to a report of a structure fire. Arriving firefighters found a 250,000 square foot warehouse with a working fire. The warehouse contained storage for recreational vehicles, approximately 500 bales of dried grass, and other items. Mutual aid was requested and the fire was fought from a defensive posture for an extended period of time.

At approximately 0130hrs on January 31, 2015, Assistant Chief Cooper reported that he was not feeling well. He was driven to the fire station by a police officer and went home. At approximately 0930hrs, Assistant Chief Cooper was discovered deceased at his home by his son. The cause of death was listed as a heart attack.

Incident Location: 22900 HWY 5 South, Centerville, IA (U.S. National Grid: 15T WF 1126 0686)

photo of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
Michael “Coop” Eugene Cooper 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

Centerville Fire Department
314 E Maple ST
U.S. National Grid: 15T WF 1087 0905
Centerville, Iowa 52544-2238

Chief: Mike Bogle

Age: 61
Rank: Assistant Fire Chief
Classification: Paid-on-Call
Incident date: January 30, 2015 19:30
Date of death: January 31, 2015
Cause of fatal injury: Stress/Overexertion
Nature of fatal injury: Heart Attack
Activity type: Not On Scene
Emergency duty: No
Duty type: After
Fixed property use: Storage

Last updated: August 12, 2016