North Egypt News

A joint resolution introduced by Rep. Dave Severin (R-Marion) to rename a portion of Highway 148 for fallen firefighter Kody M. Vanfossan passed the House unanimously April 8 and was sent to the Senate.

Vanfossan was a firefighter with the Christopher Fire Department in Christopher when he lost his life as he searched for people inside a multi-story commercial building that was on fire in 2019. 

"I am proud to stand with the Vanfossan family and to have received unanimous support from my colleagues for HJR 87 to rename a highway in Kody Vanfossan's hometown after him," Severin posted on Facebook. "I hope, with this action, we can memorialize Kody and remind everyone that passes by that our firefighters put their lives on the line to protect all of us every day. We thank Kody, we miss him, and we honor all firefighters for their service and sacrifice."

Vanfossan was a third-generation volunteer firefighter born and raised in Carbondale. He joined the fire department in November 2015, two years after graduating from Christopher High School.

The U.S. Fire Administration wrote that Vanfossan and other members of his department were dispatched to a fire in a commercial structure in the 100 block of West Market Street. Firefighters searched the building to ensure there were no occupants, and VanFossan and his father cleared the first floor of the building, but the stairs were not stable enough for them to ascend to the second floor. They used a ground ladder to access the second story when the fire got worse. As firefighters were ordered to leave the second story, the elder Vanfossan was removed from the building after he was found at the base of the interior stairs. Kody could not be located as the fire got worse, and it wasn't until 6:57 a.m. that he was located and transported from the location. He died from smoke inhalation.

Severin introduced HJR 0087 on March 29. It was adopted by the House of Representatives on April 8 and arrived in the Senate the same day.