Firefighter, 49, dies after call-out

A firefighter died from a suspected heart attack after dealing with a parked car which had been tipped onto its side in a Black Country street.

Brian Dean, a leading firefighter at Bloxwich Fire Station, had just returned to the station from the job in Glastonbury Crescent, Bloxwich, when he fell ill at around 10pm yesterday.

Fellow firefighters on Blue Watch battled to save his life using a defibrillator carried on a fire engine, but the 49-year-old died shortly after his arrival at Walsall Manor Hospital.

Colleagues at the fire station today paid tribute to Mr Dean, a father from Willenhall.

Watch Commander Keith Tilley said his colleagues were still in shock at the news.

"Brian was very much loved by everyone," he said. "He was really friendly and was always up for a joke – a very happy sort of fellow.

"He was a bit of an environmentalist and was always telling people to turn lights off and to save paper.

"But he was kingpin on the watch and everyone listened to what he had to say. He was a leader and carried out an instructor's role and was a first aider, so he was all about helping other people.

"He will be sadly missed by us all."

Acting Chief Fire Officer of West Midlands Fire Service Vij Randeniya said: "This sad loss has shocked us all.

"The fire service is like an extended family and our hearts and prayers go to his wife, family and loved ones as well as to his friends and colleagues."

He added that West Midlands Fire Service was providing help and support to Brian's family and colleagues.