Firefighter Thomas Von Essen once said, “Every firefighter knows that he (or she) is always susceptible to this type of tragedy. They go to work every day knowing that they are doing something so positive, that people really respect them and appreciate them.”

This quote hits home particularly hard for our local community this week, as Monday marked the three-year anniversary of the death of Gwinn firefighter Benjamen Lauren.

Lauren, 23, graduated from Gwinn High School in 2014. He attended his first Upper Peninsula Firefighters Tournament at six weeks old. Lauren’s father, Ron, and sister, Tori, are current members of the department.

He followed in their footsteps and became a third-generation firefighter. He served on the Forsyth Township Fire Department in Gwinn when he was called to a structure fire at 108 Albatross St. at 9:27 p.m. on March 13, 2020. At the scene, a duplex was halfway devoured by flames.

While inside the structure, part of the floor collapsed, causing Lauren to be pinned between the floor joists. A rapid intervention crew was immediately activated, removing Lauren after being stuck for approximately seven minutes.

Fellow firefighters and EMTs attempted to resuscitate the now-unconscious man to no avail. The cause of death was positional asphyxia.

“He was a proud, dedicated and exceptional member of your fire department, and was truly the finest representation of our community’s young people — respected and admired by all who knew him,” a Forsyth Township Facebook post noted concerning Lauren’s passing in 2020.

On March 21, 2020, the residents of Gwinn came together to celebrate the life of their hero by holding a procession through town.

Former United States Senator Carl Levin said, “Firefighters are essential to the safety and security of our local communities.”

On the anniversary of this tragic event, we send our gratitude and condolences to the Lauren family. It’s people like Benjamen that are willing to rush into harm’s way to keep their neighbors safe, and there is no amount of praise that would do them justice.