Services held for fallen fire chief

KNOTTS ISLAND, Va. (WAVY) - A family of firefighters held a memorial service in Knotts Island Sunday to remember the chief who died in the line of duty.

Knotts Island Fire Chief Scott Morrison collapsed one week ago while fighting a brush fire. Officials say he had a heart attack.

Morrison lived a life of service. He became a firefighter 29 years ago and worked his way up through the ranks. Then, he helped others do the same.

Photos: Fire chief remembered

"I've known Scott 10 years," said Mike Childress, a captain with the Knotts Island Fire Department. "When I first got in the department, he helped raise me in the fire service to become a captain."

But above all else, Morrison was a family man. His wife and two children stood at Station 15 to say goodbye. It's a place they had been many times before, but never had it seemed so solemn. Morrison would never have it that way.

"He would tell jokes, but he just had that laugh that anybody would know," said Childress.

That laugh made friends across the Commonwealth. Firefighters and dispatchers from different departments made the trip to Knotts Island. They came in trucks, on foot and flew overhead.

Each took time to show respect to a man who taught so many lessons. A firefighter to the core, Scott Morrison will always have a place at his beloved station, and he'll always have a place in their hearts.

"There's always going to be a piece here, always," said Childress. "He won't be forgotten."

The family asks that those wanting to make donations send them to the Knotts Island Volunteer Fire Department.