Brockton firefighter dies days after cardiac arrest in line of duty, officials say

Brockton firefighter Jeffrey Albanese died Saturday. He had suffered from cardiac arrest while responding to an incident Dec. 9. He worked out of Station No. 4.Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff

BROCKTON — Friends and colleagues are remembering a local firefighter who died Saturday night after an earlier medical emergency as someone who always had “a joyful smile, a steady hand, a straight course.”

“Jeff was the kind of guy where you might not see him for five years, but when you talk to him, it’s like you saw him yesterday,” Brockton Fire Chief Brian F. Nardelli said in an interview at the Fire Department’s Station 1 on Sunday.

Jeffrey Albanese, 49, died nearly two weeks after he suffered from cardiac arrest while on duty and was resuscitated by fellow firefighters.

Albanese was responding to a call on Dec. 9 when his heart stopped, Nardelli said. He was revived by two other firefighters, who performed CPR on Albanese at the scene. He then received care from Brewster EMS and Signature Brockton Hospital, where he was treated by Dr. Daniel Muse, the Fire Department’s medical director.

Albanese underwent additional procedures at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where he was transferred the day of the incident and later died, around 11 p.m. Saturday, while surrounded by family and members of the Brockton Fire Department. He leaves behind a wife and twin teenagers.

Nardelli said while the firefighters have struggled with guilt over not being able to save Albanese, their resuscitation allowed “Jeff to live so his wife could hold his hand for another two weeks.”

“His was a warm hand with a beating heart,” Nardelli said. “And that’s important.”

Brockton Fire Chief Brian F. Nardelli talked about firefighter Jeffrey Albanese, who died Saturday. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff

On Sunday, Albanese’s body, escorted by members of the Brockton Fire Department, was brought from Boston to a Brockton funeral home.

According to photos posted online by a Brockton Enterprise photographer, the homecoming was emotional. At the funeral home, firefighters lined up outside the hearse to salute.

A Brockton fire truck was decorated with black bunting. His jacket, with “Albanese” embroidered in large yellow letters, hung from the truck’s front mirror. His suit, boots, and helmet were arranged in front of the crowd.

Albanese joined the department on Sept. 11, 2000, and worked on Squad A, Ladder Company 1, and later as the senior firefighter on Engine Company 4. He also served as a union director and was a member of the Honor Guard, according to his union, Brockton Firefighters Local 144.

Nardelli said the department has suffered several losses in recent years. A Brockton firefighter died of a heart attack a few years ago, he said, and another died in a motorcycle crash in 2022. Recently, a retired firefighter died of complications related to a lung injury he sustained during his career.

“We’re all human beings who love one another, and we’re going to take care of each other and get through these difficult times,” Nardelli said.

Down the street from Station 1, Albanese’s home station was decorated with black bunting and a flag was flown at half-staff.

In front of the small firehouse, grieving residents had begun assembling a spontaneous memorial decorated with a small American flag and a flag that said “In Memoriam” in red letters.

A bouquet of flowers was placed in the snow.