The Erie Firefighters Labor Union 293 has announced the passing of a former fire chief and long-time member of the fire department.
Retired fire chief Joe Walko passed away last Friday.
Erie Fire Chief Joe Walko retiring after 44 years with department
The department called it a line-of-duty passing due to a long battle with occupational cancer.
According to the firefighters’ union, Walko dedicated more than four decades to the department and the safety of the Erie community.
He served as a firefighter, assistant chief, labor board president and ultimately chief of the fire department during the peak of COVID.
The fire department said that Walko’s legacy of service, leadership, dedication and friendship will not soon be forgotten.
Walko was 71 years old.
“You give a lot of your life to the fire department when you’re on the job, and he was on the job for over 40 years. Joe was very- he was in the union; he was in the army before he became a firefighter; he was on the Wattsburg school board; he was on the credit union board,” said Erie City Fire Chief Leonard Trott. “He was very active in the community, and he was willing to help with anything.”
Trott said he sends Walko’s family his condolences and hoped that in their grief they can be proud of the life that he lived.
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