Georgia deputy fire chief loses battle with COVID-19

CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia community is in mourning after the death of a beloved member of the fire department.

Carroll County deputy chief Tommy Hopson was battling COVID-19 for days at a local hospital.

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The fire department previously said Hopson was “in the battle of his life” with the deadly illness.

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Hopson’s coworkers are now remembering their friend.

“I am saddened by the loss of my friend, Tommy Hopson. Tommy proudly served Carroll County Fire Rescue for 31 years and made such an impact within this community. His loss will be felt for a long time to come as he was such an integral part of the day-to-day operations. My heart breaks for his family as they learn to navigate life without him and I ask for the community Tommy loved so much to continue to pray for the Hopson family, as well as his Carroll County Fire Rescue family as they will need strength to make it through these next few days, as we prepare to lay him to rest,” said Carroll County Fire Chief Tim Padgett.

On Monday, the Temple Police Department posted on Facebook that Hopson’s “battle with Covid has come to an end and our Lord God has called him home.”

“Tommy was a long time resident of Temple so please show his family, blood and red how much we love them,” the police department said.

The fire department wanted to thank those who showed support for Hopson over the last several days.

“As we stand outside and see all the cars travel by, you can bet that more than likely most of those folks have been impacted by Tommy in some way, whether it was a kind gesture in public, a smile, answering calls for their loved ones in trouble, assisting in the community in any way possible, or comforting someone who just lost a loved one themselves, Tommy’s impact throughout Carroll County will never be forgotten as his reach was far and wide.”

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Carroll County will be flying their American flags at half-staff until Aug. 20 in honor and remembrance of Hopson.

Hopson had been serving at the Carroll County Fire Rescue since 1990. He was recently promoted to deputy chief in 2020.

According to a post by the department, Hopson moved up through the ranks at Carroll County Fire Rescue from a firefighter, to station captain, battalion captain, and most recently served in the capacity of battalion chief since 2016.

“He has a passion for his job, he has a love of this County, and that shows through his daily work and the way he interacts with others,” Carroll County Fire Chief Tim Padgett wrote.

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Georgia deputy fire chief ‘in battle for his life’ after COVID-19 diagnosis

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