MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — Monroe County Emergency Services is mourning the loss of one of their firefighters.
49-year-old Harold Boone passed away this week after a long battle with COVID-19.
Harold Boone's colleagues at Monroe County Emergency Services followed along with his battle against COVID-19 from the time he tested positive in late September to when he had his good and bad days in the hospital, but since they heard of his passing on Monday, it's felt like a void in the department.
Boone spent nearly 30 years as a firefighter in Central Georgia. He worked for Macon-Bibb Fire Department for 25 years and worked for Monroe County for the last four. Employees at Monroe County Emergency Services remember who Boone was as a person.
"He always had a smile on his face. Always cutting jokes and always happy. Great family man," said Monroe County Fire Chief Matt Jackson.
"One word, you can't describe Boone in one word. You can't do it," said firefighter Gregory Stephens. "Family-oriented. He loved his family and that was his number one priority."
Monday, Boone lost his battle against COVID-19. In late September, he was placed on a ventilator and later was diagnosed with double pneumonia but was never able to recover.
Jackson says "over a half dozen or so" of their employees have contracted the virus since the start of the pandemic.
"For some people, it was a quicker recovery, and they would come back to work in a short period of time, unfortunately for Boone it really hit him hard. It really took it's toll on him," Jackson said.
As a firefighter, part of Boone's job was running towards the danger. Jackson says when the pandemic hit the state, Boone knew of the added risk, but "it never slowed him down. He was here every day. Ready to work," Jackson said.
Stephens says he'll miss his daily conversation with the co-worker who he says was more like a brother.
Stephens says Boone always had a great sense of humor and described how he was friends with everyone he met.
"One thing he’d say to me and the guys, if he knew you were married, he’d say, ‘Did you tell her you loved her?’ before you left home, and if they answered ‘yes,’ he’d want them to call their wives and say it where he could he hear it.”
Stephens says Boone's family is in the department's thoughts and prayers.
"His family, they are my family, Macon-Bibb family, Monroe County family, the whole fire service, we all family. So his family is still our family. We want them to know we're here for them," Stephens said.
Monroe County Emergency Services says Boone will be laid to rest on Friday at 2 p.m. at Chance Hill Baptist Church in Macon. The funeral will be open to the public, but masks and social distancing will be strongly encouraged.
An honor guard processional will accompany Boone's casket from the funeral home to the burial location.