Two Firefighters Killed in Accident While Training

Two Kilgore firefighters died when they fell from the roof of an 8-story building while participating in a training exercise Sunday afternoon in East Texas, police stated.

The men fell from Stark Hall, a men’s dormitory on the Kilgore College campus, and the city’s tallest building which makes it ideal for firefighters to train at, said Chris Craddock, Kilgore College spokesman.

The firefighters, identified by police as Kyle Perkins, 45, of Kilgore and Cory Galloway, 28, of Grand Saline, were transported to a Longview hospital, where they were pronounced dead. Perkins had been with the Kilgore Fire Department since July 2004 and Galloway joined the department in January 2008, officials said.

Perkins, Galloway and other firefighters were training getting on and off the building’s roof by using a new retractable platform that has a bucket attached, when the two men seemingly fell out of the bucket. Two other Kilgore firefighters suffered minor injuries.

Kilgore police and fire departments were investigating the cause of the accident.

“We at Kilgore College are very saddened by the tragedy that took place today, and are keeping the victims and their families in our hearts and prayers, said Craddock in a statement.