A North Haven firefighter died after suffering a medical emergency when he returned home after a 38-hour shift, according to the fire department.
The fire department said 50-year-old Anthony Desimone, a firefighter EMT, had just completed a 38-hour continuous shift in the fire station and collapsed when he returned home after he was relieved from duty.
The department said his family saw him collapse and called 911 right away.
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Police and paramedics responded and Desimone was brought to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the fire department.
Desimone was a 23-year veteran of the North Haven Fire Department.
Before he was hired as a career firefighter, he was a North Haven volunteer firefighter with the North East Volunteer Fire Company #4.
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The fire department said he was involved with several civic organizations, including the Knights of Columbus and the North Haven Little League. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Desimone was best friends with another firefighter who died while battling a fire in town late last year - Matthias Wirtz.
Wirtz and Desimone were classmates together during the academy, and they were part of the same volunteer company before starting their tenure as career firefighters in North Haven, according to the fire department.
Fire officials said Desimone even carried the urn that contained Wirtz's ashes during his funeral.
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