Florida Fire Captain Dies in Hunting Accident

Colleagues gathered Friday to celebrate Captain Paul Phillips’ career. The Bonita Springs Fire Control & Rescue District training captain was set to retire Dec. 31 after 11 years with the department.

The timing made the news of his death Sunday that much more difficult to take, fellow firefighters said Monday.

“Here’s a guy who’s committed his whole life to public safety and finally decided to retire and didn’t quite make it,” said Orly Stolts, fire chief for the North Naples Fire Control and Rescue District.

Phillips died after falling from a tree stand while hunting with his son in Charlotte County. He served as a training captain for the Bonita Springs station, but his role had him interacting with firefighters across both Collier and Lee counties. He was 58.

A father, husband and outdoorsman, Phillips was described by his peers as a legend among first responders in the county.

“He was just one of the best people,” Bonita Springs Fire Chief Joseph Daigle said. “He loved everybody; he truly had a great love for people.”

Daigle said it’s likely Phillips trained every firefighter in the county at some point.

“He’s helped everyone in this county by training firefighters,” Daigle said. “He’s basically touched everybody who’s ever needed help.”

Lt. Grant Schwalbe of Estero Fire Rescue trained with Phillips in 2003 when he first moved to Florida. As a firefighter in Ohio, Schwalbe had to be certified to work in a new state.

“He was just one of those salty, real educated firefighters you wanted to be like,” Schwalbe said. “He shared everything he ever learned, and he always made you feel right at the same level he was.”

Phillips worked to train groups as small as six or as large as 50.

“He was passionate and he was a mentor to all the people who were seeking promotions, but he also took care of the little guy, too,” Schwalbe said.

That’s not to say his training was easy. Stolts said his training techniques pushed firefighters to achieve their best.

“His training evolutions were always difficult and hard to achieve,” Stolts said.

Stolts began working with Phillips more than 20 years ago at a time when the two counties did not work together as closely.

“Until Paul came along,” Stolts said. “He was one of those guys who was dedicated to training all firefighters. It didn’t make a difference if it was a department he worked for. Standard operations were the same and everyone knew the terminology and what not.”

The Fort Myers Fire Academy posted to Facebook on Monday mourning Phillips’ death.

“Paul always touched so many hearts and minds of young men and women in and out of the fire service. The academy has lost one of its finest instructors,” the post read.

Funeral plans were not known as of Monday.