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John Howell Clift

Firefighter

Firefighter John Howell Clift contracted COVID-19 while on-duty.  He was hospitalized in early December and passed away on Saturday, January 2, 2021.

Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.

Department information

Rural Metro Fire Department
10140 Gallows Point Drive
Knoxville, Tennessee 37931

Chief: Jerry Harnish

Age: 64
Rank: Firefighter
Classification: Paid-on-Call
Incident date: November 21, 2020 2:20 p.m.
Date of death: January 2, 2021
Cause of death: Exposure
Nature of death: Covid-19
Activity type: In-Station Duties
Emergency duty: No
Duty type: Other On-Duty
Fixed property use: Store/Office

Last updated: March 03, 2021

Watch America’s Tribute to Fallen Firefighters

Honoring line-of-duty deaths in 2019