An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Ronald “Ronnie” Gene Spitzer

Chief

Chief Ronald “Ronnie” Gene Spitzer, while on-duty, responded to a medical call on December 11, 2020 with another firefighter.  It was determined later that the patient had COVID-19.  He and the firefighter both contracted the virus.  Chief Ronald “Ronnie” Gene Spitzer passed away on Wednesday, January 13, 2021 from the disease.

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

Department information

Rocky Top Fire Department
104 Lawson ST
Rocky Top, Tennessee 37769

Chief: Police Chief Jim Shetterly

Age: 65
Rank: Chief
Classification: Career
Incident date: December 11, 2020 8:01 a.m.
Date of death: January 13, 2021
Cause of death: Exposure
Nature of death: Covid-19
Activity type: EMS/Patient Care
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: On-Scene Non-Fire
Fixed property use: Residential

Last updated: March 03, 2021

Watch America’s Tribute to Fallen Firefighters

Honoring line-of-duty deaths in 2019