Fallen firefighter Staley enshrined during memorial
Cobb Island volunteer died in 2011 trying to save drowning victim
On Sunday, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation honored three Maryland Fallen Firefighters at the National Memorial Service in Emmitsburg, including one from Charles County.
The 103 firefighters being honored who died in the line of duty in 2017 and previous years will have their names added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial on the National Fire Academy grounds in Emmitsburg. The national tribute is sponsored by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the Department of Homeland
Security’s U.S. Fire Administration.
Firefighter Christopher Allen Staley, 22, of the Cobb Island Volunteer Fire Department & EMS, died on Aug. 6, 2011, while attempting to rescue a drowning victim.
“Chris joined the department at a young age, around 15 years old,” Cobb Island Fire Chief Will Lawman Jr. said. “He had ties to the department because his father was a member and is still currently a member.”
The department has memorials of Staley at the firehouse and upon entering the town of Cobb Island. A memorial bike is located outside the firehouse and a shadow box including Staley’s various certificates, badges and medals hang in the foyer of the firehouse.
“One of my fondest memories of Chris is he lived in Rockpoint, which is about 5 or 6 miles away, and he always rode his bike. It was his only means of transportation. He would always ride his bike over, hang out in the firehouse and would make sure that the bay doors were up and the trucks were ready to roll out,” Lawman said.
Tiffany McDonald, Staley’s sister, remembers him having a big heart.
“He loved everybody. There wasn’t a person he came across that wasn’t family,” McDonald said. “He was a very fun-loving guy. He loved to freestyle, listen to all sorts of music and loved to [sing] karaoke.”
Staley did take formal training at the Maryland Fire Rescue Institute and was certified as a firefighter as well as in CPR. Staley also had in-house training through the Cobb Island department to ride the trucks, fire boats and apparatus.
Staley was at a family event at Wicomico Shores on Aug. 6, 2011, when he witnessed someone swimming in the river, struggling. Due to his training, he decided he had to try to save them. The Department of Justice ruled Staley’s death a “line of duty death” because he was doing what he was trained to do.
“It has been hard on the membership since then because we all miss Chris, he had a heart of gold,” Lawman said. “This weekend is the final process for the closure for Chris’s death that the members of the department really need.”
Kenny Staley, Chris’ father, is a lifetime, active member of the department, assisting when he can. Lawman said Kenny is still carrying out Chris’s dream of being a firefighter.
“Every person Chris encountered in his life is blessed and very fortunate to have known him. He is greatly missed and loved every second of every day,” McDonald said.