Peter Firehock
February 21, 1953 - December 22, 2001
Pete was a 23-year veteran of the Delray Beach Fire Department, where he was a Fire Fighter/ Paramedic and a founding member of the Special Operations Unit, focused on dive rescue, confined space rescue, hazardous materials response and urban search and rescue. His commitment to and instruction related to the Unit's tasks set the standard for the County and beyond. Pete was a nationally recognized rescue dive instructor and completed successfully many times in the National Public Safety Divers Conference competition in Orlando, winning numerous individual and team awards, including leading the Delray Beach team to a National Championship in the Open Water Division. Named Firefighter of the Year in 1987, Pete was an instructor at the South Tech Fire Academy and a teacher and mentor to many South Florida and other fire fighters, specializing in all disciplines of fire rescue. He was a member of the Executive Board of the Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of Delray Beach, IAFF, Local 1842. Pete's life was dedicated to his entire family, his many friends and the community he served so proudly.
Pete died tragically on December 22, 2001. The Firehock Memorial Reef was created in his honor and deployed in 2005 in 20 meters of water due east of Palm Beach, Florida. Here is a video of the memorial reef made just after deployment: watch video