The veteran firefighter who committed suicide Saturday aggressively fought post-traumatic stress disorder for years, his father said.
Indian River County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief David Dangerfield, 48, drove to a rural area of the county and shot himself, the Sheriff's Office said. Before his death, he made a Facebook post about the perils of PTSD for firefighters and advised family and friends of firefighters to assist their loved ones with getting help.
For the Dangerfield family, they're coping with the fact the battalion chief had been consistently getting counseling for PTSD, but the disorder never let go of its grip.