Randy Gross, a retired captain with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, died over the weekend after a battle with job-related cancer, the district said Tuesday.
Gross served as captain for Metro Fire for 16 years until his retirement in July 2017. To begin his career, Gross served as a volunteer with the El Dorado Hills Fire Department before being hired as a Metro Fire firefighter in 1989.
Six months after being named captain, Gross and an urban search and rescue (USAR) task force, including his USAR dog, Dusty, traveled across the country to help search for survivors at the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. "Let us honor Captain Gross's legacy by keeping his wife Donna, his loved ones, and friends in our thoughts and prayers during this challenging time. Always Remembered, Never Forgotten," Metro Fire said in a social media post announcing Gross' passing.