North Fulton County

More than 1,000 expected at funeral for firefighter killed in crash

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A local fire chief says his department is trying to heal after the loss of one of its own.

Jacob Hammond, 21, died in a motorcycle crash on Bannister Road in Forsyth County early Thursday. Investigators say he lost control on a curve just after 1 a.m.

“It’s the call you never want to get,” Sandy Springs Fire Chief Keith Sanders said.

He says his department lost a hero.

“We'll wipe the tears. We'll have a lot more. But we're a family that's going to stick together -- through the good, through the bad,” Sanders said.

Hammond, who joined the department 2 1/2 years ago when he was 18, was one of Sanders’ first hires. During our interview Friday, Sanders wore a black bar across his badge.

“He was so willing to do whatever it took. I'm telling you, I don't care which team he worked with, he gelled,” Sanders said.

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Grief counselors were available at the department for anyone having a tough time coping with Hammond’s death.

“We don't fight fire alone, we don't leave any of our guys alone, and we're not gonna be alone in this journey,” Sanders said.

On Truck 54, his team saved a spot for him with his gear.

“We are going to take one minute, one hour and one day at a time, and we’re going to cherish that memory,” Sanders said.

More than 1,000 people. Including firefighters from across the state, are expected at Hammond’s funeral at noon Monday at the First Baptist Church in Cumming.

Hammond’s friends are asking people with trucks and jeeps to line the street outside the church and wave U.S. flags in honor of their friend, who loved big trucks.

“He was an American. He loved this country. He loved this community. They need to remember him as the hero he was,” Ryan McMullen said. “He loved helping people. He was not afraid to put his life on the line for his community, and that's how people should remember him.”