Department honors fallen Navarre Beach firefighter

Department shuts down, travels to Jacksonville to pay their respects

NAVARRE BEACH, Fl. – A local fire department is honoring a Navarre Beach firefighter who was killed in a motorcycle accident this past weekend in the Panhandle.

As Channel 4's Scott Johnson met up David Acree, they started going through pictures of his 30-year-old son, William Acree, better known as "Allan."

Allan was killed early Sunday in the Florida Panhandle in a motorcycle crash.

"For me, yeah," answered Acree when asked if it was hard to look at photos of his son. "Yeah, I'm just numb. I didn't think...That's me and him."

His son's death has literally affected fire service to Navarre Beach, where Allan was a firefighter. The department has shut down to travel to Jacksonville to pay their respects.

"We're all brothers and sisters, you know. I work Monday through Friday but these guys you know, they work 24 on, 48 off, so a third of their life is spent with them," said Navarre Beach Fire Chief Michael C. Howard. "We know about everything, what's going on in your family. Everybody talks about you, they're talking about our brothers. Even though Jacksonville fire rescue is here he's still one of their brothers."

Other agencies from around the area have stepped in to help with service calls, while this department leaves its post to honor this Jacksonville native, who leaves a family behind that loves him and misses him.

"He wanted to be a chief and have his own station, and his chief said he was well on the way," said Acree.