ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — His locker at Fire Station 3 still stands untouched. Bridges across the French Broad River bear his name. And every July 28, a bell tolls in his honor.
Fourteen years after Capt. Jeff Bowen died while battling a fire in a medical office building on Biltmore Avenue, the Asheville Fire Department gathered Monday morning for its annual remembrance ceremony — a solemn, deeply personal tribute to a man whose sacrifice forever changed the way firefighters across North Carolina train and respond.
Bowen, 37, was a 13-year veteran when he collapsed inside the smoke-choked structure in 2011. Despite rescue efforts, he was pronounced dead at Mission Hospital from cardiac arrest brought on by intense heat and smoke.
The service, held at 10 a.m. at Station 3 where Bowen last served, drew firefighters, city officials and community members who paused to reflect on his life, death and enduring influence.
“Even though Jeff is not with us in person today, he is with us in the sense that he has left behind a legacy,” Asheville Fire Chief Mike Cayse said.
The changes implemented after his death — from air management to firefighter rescue techniques — have saved lives across the state and the country, the chief said.
In the years since, Bowen’s death has inspired statewide safety reforms, including enhanced rapid intervention training now required for all new fire recruits. The tactics, equipment and protocols used by Asheville firefighters today carry traces of the lessons learned from Bowen’s final call.
In 2015, the bridge spanning the French Broad River going into downtown Asheville was renamed the Capt. Jeff Bowen Bridge — a daily reminder for residents and visitors of the man who gave everything in the line of duty.
The annual bell ceremony, a fire service tradition, closed Monday’s event as colleagues remembered not just a fallen firefighter, but a friend, mentor and symbol of courage.
“Sadly, Jeff gave the ultimate sacrifice, but from that moment on, the Asheville Fire Department was forever changed,” Cayse said. “Captain Bowen did not die in vain. He continues to have a role in saving lives.”