St. Johns County Fire Rescue mourns loss of engineer

St. Johns County Fire Rescue Engineer Garrett A. Opper died at his Jacksonville Beach home on Wednesday. (Provided by St. Johns County Fire Rescue)

A firefighter who had been with St. Johns County Fire Rescue for five years died unexpectedly at his home Wednesday, the department said.

SJCFR announced the death of Engineer Garrett A. Opper, who passed away late Wednesday afternoon at his Jacksonville Beach home.

Recommended Videos



“The department is deeply saddened by this unexpected and untimely loss. SJCFR has extended the Department’s heartfelt condolences to his family in this sorrowful time and will provide assistance however required,” the department said in a post on social media.

Opper began his career with SJCFR on Dec. 22, 2016, and in October 2021, he was promoted to the rank of engineer and assigned to Station 1 (Ladder 1, B Shift).

The department will release information on his funeral services as soon as they become available.


About the Author

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.

Recommended Videos