Arvada mourns loss of firefighter who died in off-duty crash

ARVADA, Colo. (KDVR) — Arvada is mourning the loss of one of their firefighters.

The Arvada Fire Protection District recently announced that 34-year-old Kyle Trombly died in late August in an off-duty motor vehicle crash. Trombly’s procession and funeral took place on Saturday at Faith Church in Arvada.

“Thanks, Kyle for being the firefighter that all of us will look up to. Kyle was a firefighter 24/7, whether off duty or on duty,” said Arvada Fire Chief Kirk Lock. “We will miss Kyle, and we will honor him by trying to strive for excellence ourselves and by showing up every morning with the passion just like he did. I would like to say one final time, job well done Kyle Trombly, thank you.”

Trombly had been with Arvada Fire since 2011. Speakers at his funeral said he was an active member of the Arvada Honor Guard and was on the EMS Fire and Safety Team at the Bandimere Speedway.

“Most people have one family. Kyle had three. One of them was his family at Bandimere,” said Lock. “He also loved his second family… He loved Station 1, he loved his crew and his profession…  And, finally his family. He deeply loved all of you.”

Trombly died just days after his 34th birthday.

“Last time I met with him… was August 6th… We got to sit there and have a birthday cake piece with him. He cut us pieces of birthday cake that was so big,” said Trombly’s uncle at the funeral service.

Arvada Fire says Trombly was recently deployed to California on a wildland deployment. But, when a crew of Arvada firefighters was sent off to Idaho, the night before Trombly’s crash, “he told them, get some work in. They honored Kyle by taking that message to heart, and creating a memorial and naming the camp that would be their own base for 14 days Camp Kyle ,” said Lock.

Grief counseling and resources are available to all Arvada Fire members.

“Kyle, although physically gone, we will carry your spirit with us and know you will be with us on every call, at every event, sitting with us at the dinner table, listening to us, wishing we could hear you again,” said Captain Derrick Varela of Station 1.

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