Hopkins assistant fire chief Jim Scanlon dies in line of duty
Assistant fire chief Jim Scanlon (Picture credit Hopkins Fire Department)
(FOX 9) - The Hopkins and Bloomington communities are mourning the loss of their assistant fire chief and member of the police force after he died Friday morning.
James "Jimmy" Scanlon, 38, responded to a fire call early Thursday morning and later went into cardiac arrest. He died the following morning, which was considered a line-of-duty death, according to a Hopkins city spokesperson.
Scanlon was a firefighter with the Hopkins Fire Department for 14 years and has served as assistant chief since 2019. He also worked for the Hopkins Police Department as a reserve officer, dispatcher and public safety officer for 16 years. He left the police department in 2017 to serve with the City of Bloomington Police Department as a dispatch supervisor and radio communications technician.
Tributes have been posted by first responders across the Twin Cities. Hennepin EMS posted on Twitter, "Sending our condolences and deepest sympathies to Chief Scanlon’s family, friends, and the entire Hopkins Fire and Police Departments o the news of his untimely passing."
The city of Hopkins also noted that Scanlon graduated from Hopkins High School and helped his father with a variety of IT projects for the city when he was 16 years old.
"Jimmy was known for his superior knowledge of IT, commitment to the City and willingness to help out however he could. He will be deeply missed," said Hopkins Fire Department Chief Dale Specken. "Our condolences go out to Chief Scanlon’s family."
Scanlon is survived by his partner and their four children. Hopkins Fire Department Relief Association set up a GoFundMe for Scanlon’s family.
A visitation for Chief Scanlon will be held on Wednesday, November 9, from 10 to 11 a.m., at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, followed by the funeral service at 11 a.m.
The City’s flags are at half-staff and will remain at half-staff through the day of Chief Scanlon’s funeral.