Community mourns loss of dedicated assistant fire chief Danny Lister

The Queen Anne community is mourning this Labor Day weekend following the loss of one of their top volunteer EMS officials, Danny Lister.

Lister, the assistant fire chief, was responding to a major crash along 404, helping to rescue trapped passengers.  Danny told colleagues he was feeling sick, and was transported to the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health at Easton.  While being transported, we’re told Lister went into cardiac arrest and was not able to be revived.

Now, black cloth is draped across the volunteer fire department in Queen Anne in memory of Lister.  His boots, fire gear and helmet sit in front of his locker, serving as a reminder of a man gone too soon.

Chief engineer David Chaires says things are, “a mess.”  Adding they lost a member of the brotherhood.

This is a loss felt not just in Queen Anne, but across the area.

“We are not only grieving as a department, and as one of our volunteer services, but basically a tri-county area is grieving over the loss of Assistant Chief Lister,” said Scott Wheatley, assistant chief of Queen Anne’s County department of EMS.

Those who knew him best say Danny was a hard worker, respected by all, dedicated to his work and the community, but most importantly – family.

“My family gets together Friday evenings and has dinner.  Danny has attended several of those because Danny was, like I said, he was like family,” said Chaires.

“He gave his all, 110 percent, and he was the type of individual that if you ask him to do something he would do it on a split notice, he would never do anything, or ever ask anyone to do something that wouldn’t do himself,” said Wheatley.

Lister will be remembered in his community, as a model of what it truly means to serve.

“The goal of the combination Fire service is to serve the community.  And when you think of service, you think of Assistant Chief Lister,” said Wheatley.

Lister leaves behind a son, his mother and his significant other.

It’s still very early, but we’ve been told there’s already been discussion of ways for the Queen Anne-Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department to honor Lister.