Funeral arrangements for longtime Whitesburg firefighter announced

WHITESBURG, Ky. (WYMT) - 11-1-2023 Update: We now know the funeral arrangements for a Letcher County firefighter who died earlier this week after having a heart attack on a call last week.

Visitation for Whitesburg Fire Department Assistant Chief Joe Back will take place Friday night starting at 6 at First Baptist Church in Whitesburg.

His funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m., also at the church.

Back was 59 years old.

You can read his obit here.

Original Story 10-30-2023:

City of Whitesburg officials say Whitesburg Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Joe Back has died.

Letcher Volunteer Fire Department Chief Wallace Bolling said Back ‘had went unresponsive’ on Friday on an EMS call.

We are told Back had a massive heart attack and was transported to Pikeville Medical Center, where he was eventually taken off life support.

Officials say Back had served in emergency services since the mid-1980′s.

First responders escorted Back from Pikeville to Whitesburg on Monday.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

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