APOPKA, Fla. — An Apopka firefighter who died after an accident while working in the line-of-duty has been posthumously awarded “Firefighter of the Year.”
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It was an emotional announcement when the Apopka Fire Department named fallen firefighter Austin Duran as its “Firefighter of the Year.”
The department made the announcement Monday.
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“Over these last 8 months, Austin has been our strength, our courage, and our light shining in our darkest night,” according to a social media post. “His positive attitude and innocent outlook on life continually shined through in that smile we all remember and grew to love and will be the definition of the legacy he has left behind.”
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Duran died last year after a trailer full of sand fell on him.
Watch: ‘He was strong’: Firefighter Austin Duran remembered after passing from on-the-job injury
He worked with the department as a fire explorer in high school and officially joined the department in 2020.
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