WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Dozens of community members came out Friday morning to pay their respects to Captain Vernon Collett, who died in the line of duty March 8 while fighting a natural cover fire near Knob Knoster, Missouri.
The cause of death has not been released.
Law enforcement officers, friends and community members lined North Maguire Street in Warrensburg before Collett’s funeral service.
The procession lasted about 15 minutes and included local fire and police agencies, in addition to the Johnson County Fire Protection District and the Johnson County Ambulance District.
“It really hurts, it just really hits the heart,” said Melanie Robelia, who is from the area, but lives in Wisconsin.
She was in town for a visit and decided to bring her family to the procession.
“It just makes your heart drop, because you know that's someone’s+ loved one, that someone who went to help and didn’t plan to not come home,” Robelia said.
Harvey Prince knew Collett well.
Prince was there early Friday to pay his respects.
“This loss was kinda hard to…think about,” Prince said.
Prince has lived in Warrensburg for all of his 72 years.
That’s longer than the Johnson County, Missouri, Fire Protection District has been around.
“It’s a big loss because he’s been a fire captain for 29 years,” Prince said.
Collett’s death is the first line of duty death in the district’s 46-year history.
“He’s going to be missed by friends and firefighters and everywhere,” Prince said. “[He’ll] be in my memories for the rest of my life.”
Amber Stevens knows how dangerous being a first responder can be. She came with her kids, whose father is a deputy sheriff.
“People don't realize what they go through on a day-to-day basis, and how it affects not just them, but the families of them, their friends, the whole community, even,” Stevens said.
There were words of gratitude on the sign they made and in their hearts.
Sadness was written on all of the faces in the procession line.
“I was pretty sad because somebody died, but they were serving us,” said Remington Hoover, one of Amber Steven’s children.
Arya Kelly is familiar with service. Her father drove one of the fire trucks in the procession, and she helped him clean it Thursday night.
“Because I love him, and he's very protective of me,” Kelly said.
No matter what age, protection is all a community could ask for.
This community’s just grateful someone answered the call.
“He gave his life doing what he loved doing, and people are appreciative of that, and I wish it didn’t have to happen that way,” Robelia said.
