Remembering the Tragedy of ’82

It was an event etched into the memory of everyone in the Plymouth, Indiana, area and beyond who was alive when it happened — and one that would help save countless lives in the years to come.

On July 31, 1982 — 43 years ago this month — five Plymouth firefighters died near what was long known as the West High Curve while responding to a house fire at nearby Lake Latonka.

The pumper truck, driven by 17-year veteran fireman Alphonse Kriscunas, 62, zigzagged across the center line of State Road 17 as it rounded the sharp curve heading southwest. The truck broke through the steel guardrail and plunged down the embankment, just yards from the former West High School building, which was razed in 2023 after being closed for decades.

The fire truck struck a utility pole and landed upside down in the marshland west of the highway, with all five victims pinned beneath.

Kriscunas, a full-time firefighter, died alongside volunteer firemen Randy Hansen, 30; Dane Hoffhein, 33; Brian Samuels, 26; and Gary VanVactor, 24. The sixth firefighter, 27-year-old Sean O’Keefe, was thrown through the windshield and treated for a sprained neck before being released.

It took three hours of work in the marshy terrain to recover the victims’ bodies. Plymouth Fire Chief Wayne Smith said the truck, purchased in 1965, had been regularly maintained and was in good condition. Authorities were unsure whether a mechanical failure or the shifting weight of the water in the truck’s tank caused the accident. The *Pilot News* reported that skid marks on the roadway suggested the sharp curve itself was not the cause. Smith noted the five were the first firefighters to die in the line of duty since the department was established in 1836.

Ironically, the fire at Lake Latonka was already out when another truck arrived, and only minimal damage had occurred.

State Fire Marshal William C. Goodwin called the incident the worst tragedy in terms of firefighter deaths in Indiana history. Plymouth Mayor Charles O. Glaub described it as “a terrible tragedy for our community. Everyone here is upset and in a state of shock. The effect of the tragedy will be far-reaching.”

Roughly 3,500 mourners — including 800 firefighters from across Indiana and as far away as Georgia — paid tribute to the fallen at an Aug. 4 service at Plymouth High School gymnasium. Local businesses closed, flags flew at half-staff and people lined the streets for the three-mile procession to the cemetery.

Secretary of State Edwin J. Simcox, representing Gov. Robert D. Orr, told the crowd the firefighters’ deaths were “an example of courage to all of us. The state grieves their passing and in so doing remembers with gratitude their dedication to the citizens of Plymouth.”

Fire Chief Smith told the *South Bend Tribune* before the service that the accident “was like losing five brothers all at once.” He had earlier described the department to the *Pilot News* as “one big family… we work together, play together, fight together and love one another. You have to depend on that guy when you go into a burning building… it will be a long while before we recover.”

Firefighters wearing black tape on their badges served as pallbearers, helping load and unload the caskets onto fire trucks before and after the journey to New Oak Hill Cemetery, where the VFW gave a 21-gun salute.

Firefighters in attendance also pledged to start a fund for the victims’ children and families. Bill Satorius of the Plymouth Fire Department told the Associated Press that survivors would also qualify for federal funds from the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program. U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana confirmed the support.

In 2014, a permanent memorial was erected near the crash site, replacing five wooden crosses placed shortly after the incident. More than 100 people gathered that December to dedicate the stone monument north of State Road 17. The new marker includes images of the fallen.

Brandon VanVactor, son of Gary, told WSBT he was grateful. Just a year old when the crash happened, he said the families were “happy this has finally taken place and thankful for all the people who took the time and effort.”

Former Chief Smith said he was struck by the thought that the monument might stand for 100 or even 200 years. “People will realize what happened back in 1982,” he said.

Another tribute came last July when the Plymouth Fire Department received Engine 82 — named for the year of the tragedy — to replace a 30-year-old vehicle. Current Fire Chief Steve Holm told WSBT that the new truck symbolizes both remembrance and enhanced firefighter safety. “It’s a reminder of the risk we take every time we leave for a call,” he said.

The truck includes modern features like airbags and safety gear, marking a vast improvement from past designs.

National, Life-Saving Impact

A more far-reaching legacy of the 1982 tragedy — and others like it  can be found in national changes to firefighter safety standards.

According to a podcast from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA.org), firefighter deaths from falling off fire trucks were once common — with nearly four full-time firefighters per year (a total of 41) dying in such incidents from 1977 to 1987.

Before the publication of NFPA 1500 in 1987 — the first occupational safety standard for fire services — few universal safety standards existed. “Riding the tailboard,” or standing unprotected on the back of a truck, was a common and even romanticized practice dating back 200 years.

The NFPA’s 19-member technical committee to develop minimum safety standards was created in 1983, the year after the Plymouth tragedy. Though the standards primarily addressed full-time firefighters, the incident’s national significance was likely known to the committee.

Many firefighters initially resisted seat belts and enclosed cabs, fearing they would delay response times. But the committee, composed of working firefighters, succeeded in passing new regulations at the NFPA’s 1987 national convention in Ohio.

Though enforcement proved challenging, the changes influenced equipment manufacturers and gradually became standard as older equipment was phased out. The new rules banned riding outside the truck en route to a call, mandated safety belts and enclosed cabs, and required other safety features like breathing apparatuses.

These changes saved lives. From 1992 to 2004, only four deaths from falling off fire trucks occurred — and none since. Overall firefighter deaths declined from 130 annually (with 100,000 injuries) to around 80 deaths and 70,000 injuries per year.

Chief Holm told WSBT that many current firefighters weren’t alive in 1982, but “we always make sure that we have a service and keep them involved so that they know exactly what happened and what sacrifices there were for this department.”

Jeff Kenney serves as Museum and Archives Manager for Culver Academies and on the Board of Trustees of the Culver Historical Society. A Culver resident, he is a frequent speaker and local history contributor.