Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe ordered U.S. and Missouri flags to be flown at half-staff from dusk till dawn on Friday, March 14, at government buildings in Johnson County, the Fire Fighters Memorial of Missouri in Kingdom City and firehouses statewide in honor of Johnson County Fire Protection District Captain Vernon Collett.
Collett died on Saturday, March 8, after collapsing while responding to a natural cover fire that was later found out to be a controlled burn. Collett was 60 at the time of passing.
“Vernon Collett’s full-time job was with the Johnson County Road and Bridge Department, but he also had a calling to serve his community as a volunteer firefighter with the Johnson County Fire Protection District,” Kehoe said in a press release Thursday. “For over 29 years, Captain Collett responded to countless fires, vehicle crashes, and other emergencies. He died fulfilling the responsibility he had taken on in order to protect others. We will remember Captain Collett as a model public servant who selflessly supported his community.”
The flags will be held at half-staff on Friday, when Collett is laid to rest at a closed graveside service at Mr. Zion Chruch in Dunksburg, MO.
