LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A Los Angeles Fire Department dispatch supervisor collapsed today at the LAFD’s Metropolitan Fire Communications Center and died at a hospital, authorities said.
LAFD Capt. Matthew McKnight, 51, was found unresponsive inside the facility at 500 W. Temple St. at 1:07 a.m., and he died at County-USC Medical Center, LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey said.
“Los Angeles firefighters discovered (him) after his unwitnessed collapse,” Humphrey said. McKnight was last seen about 12:55 a.m. near the end of a five-hour watch, he said.
“Despite an exhaustive effort by colleagues who immediately performed CPR, applied a defibrillator and instituted advanced life-support measures, Capt. McKnight proved beyond medical help …”
The cause of death will be determined by an autopsy, Humphrey said.
McKnight, a 31-year veteran of the LAFD, lived in Thousand Oaks and is survived by his wife, a teenage daughter, a pre-teen son and two brothers, both of whom work for the fire department, Humphrey said.
