JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Washington County-Johnson City EMS is grieving the passing of one of its dedicated rescue technicians and advanced EMTs.

In an official statement shared on their Facebook page, the department announced that Fred Kemp lost his life on Wednesday while participating in a training exercise.

“This is an incredibly challenging period for our team, and we are maintaining close communication with the Kemp family,” the announcement read.

Kemp was a valued member of the service with 28 years of dedicated experience.