RFCOP Crime Update Week of Jan 17th -Jan 23rd

Fallen Firefighter Laid to Rest

An estimated crowd of 3,000 people came to pay their respects to Mark Falkenhan, who died fighting a four-alarm apartment fire last week. Mark Falkenhan fought his first fire 37 years ago. While Falkenhan and his older cousins made Jiffy Pop popcorn, the wrapping caught fire on the stove. As his cousins ran for help, Falkenhan stood firm, grabbed a pot of water and doused the flames. He was 6 years old. The popcorn fire incident of 1974 was the first of many quick thinking and heroic acts by Falkenhan, the 43-year-old volunteer firefighter who died Wednesday night battling a four-alarm blaze in Hillendale. Falkenhan was volunteering with the Lutherville Volunteer Fire Co. on the night of his death and was helping with an effort that rescued two residents from the flames. Falkenhan was also a former chief at Middle River Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Co. and a career firefighter and paramedic for the Baltimore County Fire Department for 16 years before joining the U.S. Secret Service in 2006. Baltimore County Fire Chief John J. Hohman said Falkenhan, whose assignments included the Fire-Rescue Academy and several stations across the county, helped make the department better through his leadership and his ability to teach at every assignment. Hohman used Falkenhan’s own words to describe him as he read an excerpt from his 2006 resignation letter from the department. “The man who dares, the man who decides what he wants to achieve and works until his dream comes true,” Hohman read to the packed church. “The man who will alter his course when he must and bravely begin something new. The man who’s determined to make this world better, who’s willing to learn anything. The man who keeps trying and doing his best is the man who succeeds.” Our thoughts are with the family of Mark Falkenhan.

Click here for this week's full report. Includes an update on the apartment stabbing.