HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. -- The Orange County community is mourning the loss of a firefighter who died Monday in the line of duty.

Deputy Chief Jeff Holden, 32, was one of two firefighters who entered a trench to free a construction worker who was trapped earlier in the day.

The Town of Hillsborough said Holden was found unresponsive at the main station on South Churton Street at about 1:30 p.m.

Holden had been with the department since September 2001. He started as a junior member of the department before he was 18 and became an employee in 2003. 

Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens said he believes Holden is the first firefighter there to die in the line of duty.

"This is one of the most admired of our first responders,” said Stevens. “He's been there for over 15 years, even started working with them before he was 18, then was in the deputy chief position."

Holden was married and had a baby only a few months old.

The Hillsborough Firefighters Association has opened an account for the family at the Local Government Federal Credit Union. If you would like to donate, you can visit any State Employees Credit Union location to make a deposit into the “Scholarship Fund for Miller” account.

 

 

 Orange County released a statement Tuesday saying:

"It is with heavy hearts that we learned of the passing of Assistant Chief Jeff Holden with the Orange Rural Fire Department in Hillsborough. 

Our firefighters and emergency responders are heroes that walk among us daily.  They respond to and battle situations that few of us can imagine.  Jeff “Stan” Holden was one of those heroes.

On behalf of the Orange County Board of Commissioners we offer our sincere condolences to the family, Orange Rural Fire Department and emergency responders who have worked side by side with Assistant Chief Jeff Holden through the years."

Get the latest news, sports and weather delivered straight to your inbox. Click here to sign up for email and text alerts.