A firefighter with the Los Angeles Fire Department died due to COVID-19 complications, officials say.
In a Facebook post, the LAFD said 44-year-old Jose M. Perez, a Firefighter III/Paramedic, passed away at an area hospital from complications of COVID-19 on Saturday, July 25, 2020.
Perez was with the department for 16 years.
He is survived by his wife and three children.
According to NBC Los Angeles, this is the first firefighter in the department to die due to COVID-19 complications.
"Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas and the entire Department send their deepest and most sincere condolences to the Perez family," according to a department statement.
From March through Friday, 145 LAFD employees have tested positive for COVID-19, with 108 recovered and back at work and 36 recovering at home, according to NBC Los Angeles.
