A Wichita firefighter who died in the line of duty has been named the 2010 Firefighter of the Year. Wichita fire officials awarded Capt. Urban Eck with the award posthumously during the city council meeting Tuesday.
During the meeting, fire officials also announced it's been determined Eck's injuries were a result of a fire he fought in December last year. Eck died from a heart condition a few weeks after responding to the fire. The fire chief says that heart problem was triggered by the fire.
John Eck accepted the award for his uncle and talked to Eyewitness News.
"He was one of those guys who really liked the underdog," said John Eck. "He was always watching out for people."
Eck left behind a wife and eight children. He was with the fire department for 27 years.
"Work was important to him, but it didn't come first. His family was number one for him. That's what it was all about for him, family," said John Eck.
Memorials will be placed at the Kansas Firefighters Museum in Wichita and at Station One, where Capt. Eck worked.
