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PHOENIX, Ariz. - Just one day after Thanksgiving, the Phoenix Fire Department has been struck by tragedy, as one of their captain was killed Friday morning, in an ATV crash in Northern Arizona.
The captain, identified as 45-year-old Chris Fitzmaurice, was off-duty at the time. Fitzmaurice, who has served the department for over two decades, was a husband and father to four young girls. Department officials said Fitzmaurice was a firefighter who never thought twice about putting his life on the line, and made it his duty to save lives.
"It just really couldn't be any worse," said Captain P.J. Dean, who is struggling to come to terms with the news he received.
"We've just lost an exceptional family member, a person who meant the world to us." said Dean. "We deal with tragedy all day long, but when it hits home, it's hard to process, because we look at it differently than how we normally do."
The United Phoenix Firefighters Association has set up a GoFundMe page to help Fitzmaurice's family with expenses. For more information, click here.