North College Hill Fire Department announces death of longtime lieutenant

The North College Hill Fire Department Fire Department lost one of its longtime and well-respected firefighters earlier this week.

Lt. Doug “Socks” Eikens, who served on the department for over 30 years, died unexpectedly on Thursday, Aug. 15, according to his obituary . He also served with Colerain fire, Hamilton County Urban Search and Rescue, and Greater Cincinnati HazMat.

Eikens started as a volunteer firefighter and recently served as a fire inspector/code enforcement officer. He also became a CPR instructor and trained hundreds of residents.

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Lieutenant Doug "Socks" Eikens. Doug has been a fixture on...

Posted by North College Hill Fire Department on Friday, August 16, 2024

“His life was committed to service, not just in the fire sense and the inspections and stuff, but he did stuff for charities. He worked tirelessly for the National Fallen Firefighters Association and was a member of the Knights of Columbus,” Deputy Chief of the Fairfield Fire Department Steve Conn said.

Conn said working with Eikens for so many years was a privilege.

“His nickname is Socks and when he first got on the fire department, he forgot to put on his shoes on when he went to make a run. So you know, in this job, if you slip up a little, you get a nickname,” Conn said.

Conn describes Eikens as an old soul fueled by energy and kindness that spreads from person to person.

“He never met anybody he didn’t like,” Conn said. "He just had love in his heart. With everything he did with everyone he met, he was just a really special guy.”

His funeral was held Saturday at St. Ann Church, which included a procession led by the fire department.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for memorials to be made to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Enquirer media partner Fox19 provided this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: North College Hill Fire Department announces death of longtime lieutenant