A veteran San Francisco firefighter died Sunday after returning from an early morning fire alarm call, according to the San Francisco Fire Department.
Battalion Chief Terry Smerdel, a 26-year veteran of the department, was found unresponsive by coworkers in his office, Chief Joanne Hayes-White said in a news release. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
"It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Battalion Chief Terry Smerdel, who passed away this morning while working a shift at Battalion 1," Hayes-White said.