Buitendorp lost consciousness while driving a tender
United States Fire Administration
The U.S. Fire Administration has announced the official on-duty death of Firefighter Michael Buitendorp, 40, of the Grant Township Fire Department on November 18, 2020.
On Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at approximately 2100hrs., Firefighter Michael Buitendorp, driving a fire department tender, was responding to the scene of a camper fire in Otto Township when he lost consciousness. The firefighter who was with him was able to stop the fire apparatus and call for help. Grant Township firefighters and EMS personnel immediately performed life-saving measures. Firefighter Buitendorp was then transported to the Mercy Health Lakeshore Hospital where attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. The cause of his death is under investigation.
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Buitendorp at http://apps.usfa.fema.gov/firefighter-fatalities/
To date, 78 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2020. Year-to-date and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/ff_fatality_reports.html
Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.
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