Two Kilgore firefighters died after falling from the roof of an 8-story building during a training exercise Sunday afternoon in East Texas, police said.
The men were injured when they fell from Stark Hall, a men's dormitory on the Kilgore College campus. Firefighters routinely train at the building because it's the city's tallest, said Chris Craddock, Kilgore College spokesman.
The firefighters were taken to a Longview hospital, where they died. Police identified them as 45-year-old Kyle Perkins of Kilgore and 28-year-old Cory Galloway of Grand Saline. Perkins had been with the Kilgore Fire Department since July 2004 and Galloway joined the department in January 2008, officials said.
"They were both as good as gold," said Dennis Gage, Kilgore Fire Department operations chief.
Perkins was married and had two children in college. He had organized a walk this spring to raise money for cancer research, sang in his church choir and enjoyed working in the fire prevention program for children. He was chosen as the "Firefighter of the Year" in 2008, Gage said.
"Kyle was a good fellow. He'd do anything for you," he said. "He was a good community leader."
Galloway commuted from about an hour away for his shifts with the 37-member department, Gage said.
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"He's energetic, a hard worker, always trying to learn," he said.
Perkins, Galloway and other firefighters had been training getting on and off the building's roof using a new retractable platform that has a bucket attached. The two men apparently fell out of the bucket, Gage said.
Two other Kilgore firefighters suffered minor injuries.
Kilgore police and fire departments were investigating the cause of the accident.
The Kilgore College Fire Academy on the campus offers certification for structural firefighters, volunteers and fire inspectors.
"We at Kilgore College are very saddened by the tragedy that took place today, and are keeping the victims and their families in our hearts and prayers, Craddock said in a statement.
Kilgore is about 120 miles east of Dallas.
