HARTFORD–On Tuesday, the Hartford City Council approved a measure to rename a firehouse after one of its own who lost his life in the line of duty last year.
On October 7, 2014, firefighter Kevin Lamont Bell was working on a house fire on Blue Hills Avenue when he got entangled in a piece of furniture and his air tank ran empty. He died due to lack of breathing gas.
His engine company, Engine Company 16 Fire Station at 636 Blue Hills Ave., will be renamed after Bell.
Mayor Pedro Segarra applauded the measure, saying, “This tragedy is a reminder of the risks our brave men and women take every day to preserve our safety. Kevin is a Hartford hero who will not be forgotten. Naming Engine 16 after him is one way the city and community can continue to honor his life and memory.”