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Christopher A. Slutman, 43, of Ladder Company 27 in the South Bronx, a 15-year veteran of the department, died as a result of injuries sustained while on active duty in Afghanistan, said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Slutman, who lived in Yonkers with his wife and three children for years, most recently lived in Wilmington, Delaware, and commuted to New York to work, according to News 4.
The well-liked firefighter was honored five years ago for rescuing a woman from a burning high-rise in the South Bronx, the mayor and Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said on Tuesday.
“I had the honor of presenting him in 2014 with the Fire Chief’s Association Memorial Medal after he had rescued an unconscious woman from a burning apartment in the South Bronx," said de Blasio. "This unquestionably is an example of the measure of this man. Christopher Slutman is an American hero, a New York hero, and we mourn his loss today."
Slutman was appointed a firefighter in September of 2003 and assigned to Ladder Company 17 in the South Bronx. In 2015 he transferred to Ladder Company 27, located in the Claremont section of the Bronx.
“Firefighter Slutman bravely wore two uniforms and committed his life to public service both as a New York City Firefighter and as a member of the United States Marine Corps,” said Nigro. “The hearts and prayers of the entire Department are with his loved ones and with the families of his fellow service members who lost their lives in service to our nation.”
Slutman was also a life member of the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department in Landover, Maryland, where he grew up, the fire department's website said.
“Through this trying time, we will remember Chris for the father, husband, brother, son, and friend that he was, the moral character he displayed daily, and the courage and conviction to serve his fellow Americans, both at home and abroad,” Kentland Chief Oleg Pelekhaty said in a Facebook post.
The mayor ordered flags across the city lowered to half-staff in his honor Tuesday morning.
The Marines have not confirmed the names of those killed.
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