Fallen Baltimore firefighter Capt. Dillon Rinaldo laid to rest at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens
BALTIMORE -- Hundreds of firefighters and emergency personnel from around the country gathered Friday to pay their final respects to fallen Baltimore City firefighter Captain Dillon Rinaldo.
Rinaldo, 26, was laid to rest two weeks after the Northwest Baltimore fire that fatally injured him, and a week after the funeral of his colleague Rodney Pitts, who died in the same fire.
The tragic blaze took place on October 19, in the 5200 block of Linden Heights Avenue. The death of Pitts was announced shortly after the fire.
Rinaldo died in the hospital on October 24.
Three additional firefighters were hospitalized for injuries sustained in the fire but have since been released.
Rinaldo had been with the Baltimore City Fire Department for nearly six years. He was six months away from marrying his fiancé, Lauren Ridlon, and was posthumously promoted to captain.
Ridlon said the memories of Rinaldo smiling and laughing will remain in her heart for eternity.
The funeral took place Friday morning at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, located on North Charles Street in Baltimore. Rinaldo was laid to rest at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium.
Firefighters from across the country were in attendance.
President of Baltimore Firefighters Local 734, Matthew Coster, described Rinaldo as "The quintessential firefighter." He said Rinaldo wanted to be a firefighter since he was a little kid."
State leaders also attended Friday's funeral service to pay their respects to Rinaldo.
He will always be the thing that so many claim to be but cannot truly own as Dillon could, a hero," Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller said.
Rinaldo's sister Danielle also shared words during the funeral service.
"Thank you for the way that you protected me, loved me, and supported me through absolutely everything, most of all, thank you for being my biggest cheerleader in life and sometimes believing in me more than I believed in myself," Danielle Rinaldo said.
Firefighters from across the country including Boston as well as Fair Lawn Fire Department, which is Captain Dillon Rinaldo got started in dream job. The funeral is set to begin at 10am. @wjz pic.twitter.com/7xeioY7qCi
— Stephon Dingle WJZ (@Stephon_Dingle) November 3, 2023
Watch: Friends, family remember Baltimore firefighter Capt. Dillon Rinaldo as loyal 'firehouse kid'
Family friend John Cosgrove told WJZ Thursday his relationship with Rinaldo was special. He shared stories about their lifelong relationship outside of the funeral home, where Rinaldo's viewing was held.
Cosgrove told tales about Rinaldo's childhood in New Jersey. Even at the young age of 5, Rinaldo was known as "the firehouse kid" because he spent his days at the Fair Lawn Fire Station watching and idolizing the firefighters, he said.
"When he joined the fire department, I had retired after 40 years in the service, and he came to me and asked me if he could take my badge number 79 with the Maryland Fire Department," Cosgrove said.
Rinaldo was thrilled when he landed a firefighting gig in Baltimore.
"I'll never forget how happy he was when he came into the firehouse and told me he had been hired by the Baltimore Fire Department," he said. "It was a lifelong dream of his and something he always wanted to do."
"There's no doubt in my mind that if Dillon Rinaldo had lived that he would probably one day been chief of the Baltimore Fire Department," Cosgrove said.
The deadly fire prompted the Baltimore City Fire Department to change how it fights fires.
From now on, firefighters will only attack fires from the inside of occupied dwellings after they have completed several checks of the building.