Law enforcement and firefighters from across the Coast gathered in Long Beach on Tuesday to say goodbye to Rusty Shoultz. Shoultz was laid to rest Tuesday. He was a 30-year veteran of Harrison County Fire Rescue.
Shoultz flew the Rescue 5 helicopter. He later rose to deputy chief at the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, then went on to build a special operations program for St. George Fire Department before serving as fire chief in Walker, Michigan, where he died on May 1.
“He took a chance on me like many others here and pulled us out of the trenches of the AMR ground ambulance and into the air,” said Ian Murray, battalion chief at Gulfport Fire Department. “So I’ve been with Rescue Fire for the last 11 years and I thank him for giving me a shot.”
“All of the things he did to serve the community, and all of the things he did to take care of his fellow man was just unselfishness,” said Pat Sullivan, Harrison County fire chief. “He just loved providing and assisting for people.”
Shoultz’s impact stretched far beyond Harrison County, touching departments across three states.
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