Hickory Firefighter Jake Bridges died Thursday after having a medical emergency while on duty.

HICKORY, NC – The Hickory Fire Department is remembering one of their own, after a firefighter died while on duty Thursday.

The firefighter has been identified as 20-year-old Jake Bridges.

The fire department says firefighters were called to a fire around 1:49 Thursday morning and cleared the scene at 4:52 am.

After returning to the fire station, the firefighters worked to get the truck back in service. A short time later Bridges had a medical emergency and was rushed to the hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Bridges joined the Hickory Fire Department in June 2023 as a certified Level II Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) after completing the Gaston College Fire Academ

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