Baltimore City firefighters mourn loss of Rodney Pitts, Lt. Dillon Rinaldo
BALTIMORE -- As family and friends of fallen firefighters Rodney Pitts III and Lt. Dillon Rinaldo are preparing to say goodbye, many continue to share their best memories of them.
Meanwhile, the president of the union representing Baltimore City firefighters said they're still grappling with the loss of their two brothers.
Pitts and Rinaldo were among the firefighters who responded to a two-alarm rowhome fire in Northwest Baltimore last Thursday. Rinaldo was trying to help Pitts during last week's blaze, according to the fire department.
Pitts died the day of the fire while Rinaldo succumbed to his injuries early Wednesday morning at Bayview Medical Center.
Led by a trail of police officers and fire engines, Rinaldo was escorted to Duda-Ruck Funeral Home in Dundalk. It's where his funeral will be held, as well as where Pitts was taken.
Matthew Coster, the president of Baltimore Firefighter IAFF Local 734, said it has been exhausting dealing with the loss of Pitts and Rinaldo. He has called the last week an emotional rollercoaster.
He adds morale among firefighters has plummeted because of what happened.
"To have to keep going to work and still thinking in the back of their minds that their two friends, two brothers, were just killed -- that's a tough part to handle," Coster said. "But, we still do it."
Coster only had nice things to say about the two fallen firefighters. He knew Rinaldo very well.
"He was the quintessential firefighter. He loved the job, he loved fighting fire. He never complained about anything, just did his job," Coster said.
The same thing is being said about Pitts. Many have been attending his viewing services at Duda-Ruck Funeral Home.
"He did what he loved. His dream was to become a firefighter and take care of his family," Sharrieff Smith, one of Pitts' friends, said. "He was a great friend, always there in your time of need, very charismatic."
Coster said firefighters will not only be holding each other close but the families of their fallen comrades, too.
"We still got a job to do, we still gotta get back on the truck and keep going," he said. "But, mainly for us, [we just have] to be there for the family and the members that are definitely affected by this."
Pitts' funeral starts 10 a.m. on Friday. Funeral services for Rinaldo have yet to be disclosed.
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Two Baltimore City firefighters die after battling two-alarm rowhome fire, investigation underway