Chesterfield County Fire and EMS is saddened to announce the death of Firefighter Alicia A. Monahan, assigned to Engine 207-B shift who unexpectedly passed away Saturday afternoon, June 25, 2022, while off duty. Alicia was 41 years old and an 11 plus year veteran of the department.
On the day of her passing, Alicia was working with Rescue 3 International doing what she loved, training a group of fire and EMS professionals in the complexities of swift water rescue techniques. The training session was being conducted on the Nantahala River outside Bryson City, North Carolina; an area that was very familiar to Alicia.
After conducting a safety briefing with the students she entered the water wearing full protective equipment and for reasons still unknown, became unresponsive. She was carried a short distance downstream by currents where she was removed from the river by individuals nearby who began resuscitation efforts. Despite the valiant efforts of those on scene, along with first responders and hospital staff, Alicia was pronounced dead a short time later at Swain Community Hospital in Bryson City.
According to Chesterfield County Fire & EMS Chief Loy Senter, “Alicia’s untimely passing weighs heavy on our hearts. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her fiancé, her two sons, extended family, and many friends. Her coworkers continue to support the needs of the family while at the same time providing uninterrupted emergency services to the community Alicia loved and where she grew up and lived. While she will always be remembered for her devotion to duty and unparalleled service to others, her legacy will be the inspiration she provided to countless young women considering careers in the fire service or the pursuit of causes bigger than themselves.”
Donations
The Chesterfield Professional Firefighters Charitable Foundation is committed to helping with the family’s needs as they can. They are also soliciting donations that will go directly to the benefit of Alicia’s two sons.
Donations can be made directly on the CPFFCF website at cpffcf.org, or checks can be mailed to Chesterfield Professional Firefighters Charitable Foundation, P. O. Box 812, Chesterfield, VA 23832. Please write in the Special Instructions Section, “Alicia Monahan.” One hundred percent of these donations will go directly to the benefit of her sons. Donations may also be dropped off at any Chesterfield Fire and EMS station. (The Chesterfield Professional Firefighters Charitable Foundation is an IRS-designated 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.)
Memorial Service for Firefighter Paramedic Alicia Monahan
Date & Time: July 02, 2022 (10:00 AM) Venue: The Outlook At Saddle Ridge Location: 17901 River Rd. Chesterfield, VA 23838
Due to limited space and parking the service is not open to the general public to allow room for family, friends, public safety personnel and those who personally knew Alicia. For those unable to attend, the service will be streamed via Facebook Live.
More About Alicia
Chesterfield County Fire and EMS would like to share some of the amazing accomplishments and contributions that Alicia made during her life. The positive impact she made on her family and friends, our organization, our community and everyone she encountered will live on forever.
She was an experienced member of the department’s SCUBA Rescue Team and a member of the elite Virginia Helicopter Aquatics Rescue Team (VA HART), a joint initiative between the Virginia Army Air National Guard and Chesterfield County Fire & EMS.
In recent years she actively prepared for greater leadership responsibilities, completing a long-term acting lieutenant assignment at the Bon Air Fire Station, and was a candidate for promotion to the rank of lieutenant.
During her tenure with the department, she was honored with numerous citations and awards.
In May 2013, Alicia was part of a team that safely extricated multiple victims from a crash involving three vehicles.
In November 2013, she and her teammates acted quickly and decisively to remove multiple victims from a vehicle that was fully involved in fire following a head-on collision with another vehicle.
Alicia participated in life saves in April 2018 and January 2020, performing advanced medical care on patients experiencing cardiac arrest.
In October 2018, she and two other members of Scuba Rescue 7 rescued a victim trapped on the roof of their car in rising, swiftly moving flood waters. They each were recognized with a Bronze Valor Award for their efforts by the Retail Merchants Association.
A 2004 Radford University graduate, Alicia was a licensed dog trainer who served as an operational K9 handler for the Virginia Search and Rescue Dog Association.
She shared her love of the outdoors as Southeast Region Event Coordinator for SheJumps, a nonprofit that aims to increase the participation of women and girls in a variety of outdoor activities.
She was an Auxiliary Instructor for the US Naval Sea Cadets Program and supported Race Across America and Race Across the West as a driver and paramedic.
She worked as a whitewater raft guide for RVA Paddlesports and Riverside Outfitters, and as an instructor in search and rescue with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
Alicia was also an active swift water rescue instructor teaching multiple classes during her off-duty time across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia as a valued instructor with Rescue 3 International, a global organization that provides technical rescue training.
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