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Pasquale “Pete the Pepper” DiBenedetto

Chief Engineer/Firefighter

On July 30, 2018, Chief Engineer/Firefighter DiBenedetto responded from his home to the firehouse for an activated CO alarm call.  An in-station crew and the chief responded to investigate and found it due to a faulty battery.  DiBenedetto stood-by in-station for additional calls and to place the apparatus back into service.  Upon completion, he then returned home. 

The next morning, DiBenedetto complained that he wasn’t feeling well and had a friend transport him to a local hospital.  He suffered a massive stroke while enroute and required immediate surgery upon arrival.  Life-saving measures were unsuccessful, and he passed away in the hospital on August 2, 2018.

Incident Location:  3 South Main Street, PO Box 1, Englishtown, NJ  07726 (US National Grid: 18T WK 5441 6044 (D.D.: 40.293, -74.360))

photo of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
Pasquale “Pete the Pepper” DiBenedetto 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

Englishtown Fire Department
3 South Main Street, PO Box 1
Englishtown, New Jersey 07726

Chief: Louis Sarti

Age: 68
Rank: Chief Engineer/Firefighter
Classification: Volunteer
Incident date: July 30, 2018 20:16
Date of death: August 2, 2018
Cause of fatal injury: Stress/Overexertion
Nature of fatal injury: Cerebrovascular Accident
Activity type: Support
Emergency duty: No
Duty type: On-Scene Fire
Fixed property use: Store/Office

Last updated: December 04, 2020