Bristol Fire Company to Honor One –Year Anniversary of Fallen Fire Police Captain

The Bristol Fire Company (Station 51) will mark the one-year anniversary of the passing of long-time Bristol Fire Police Capt. David Wintz with a memorial service that will be held at 7 p.m. Friday June 14.

The program will be held in front of the Bristol Borough Municipal Building, located at 250 Pond St. in Bristol.

The ceremony pays homage to Wintz, who died in the line of duty while directing traffic during a three-alarm blaze at Dow Chemical's Rohm & Haas Bristol plant in May 2012, according to a press release. Wintz, who served as a firefighter for 50 years for departments throughout the region, died of a heart attack shortly after leaving the scene of the fire after he became ill. Emergency responders from Bristol Fire Company arrived at Wintz’s home to try to revive him, but were unsuccessful.

The ceremony will get under way with a firefighters’ march — comprised of more than a dozen local fire departments — that will start at Bristol Fire Company (198 Wood St. in Bristol) and will proceed through Bristol to the borough hall.

During the ceremony, Wintz’s name will be added to the Julian R. Bley Memorial located in front of the Bristol Borough Municipal Building. The memorial lists the names of emergency responders stationed in Bristol Borough, who have given their lives while protecting and serving others. Wintz’s name will be the third added from Station 51 in the company’s 156-year history.

“Dave was passionate about helping others, which is why he was an ardent volunteer firefighter over the past 50 years,” Bristol Fire Company Chief Herb Slack said in the release. “This ceremony allows us to reflect on how Dave impacted our lives and the innumerable ways he served the community.”

According to a public relations firm handling publicity for the memorial service, the event is opened to the public, and many are expected to attend.