Grieving for fallen firefighter in cyberspace
I’m helping out today with the coverage of the horrible events in Maplewood, where firefighter Ryan A. Hummert was killed while trying to put out a pickup truck fire. Hummert and two police officers were shot by a gunman hiding in a house near the burning truck.
Earlier in my career I spent a fair amount of time on the police beat, covering this sort of thing. That was before “Internet” was a word that meant much of anything to anyone.
I’m struck today by the ease with which grieving friends and well-wishers can get together to form a support network. I’ve been watching the Facebook page dedicated to Hummert’s memory. This group, set up by another firefighter, is growing rapidly with nearly 300 members already signed up.
I’m no psychologist. But it seems like this sort of thing would have some wonderful benefits in terms of helping people share their grief. If you haven’t seen it, be sure to check it out.
Tim has covered a wide range of topics, including tourism, crime, aviation and gambling, since becoming a reporter in 1990. The Oklahoma native joined the Post-Dispatch in 2007 after spending nine years in Orlando. In his spare time, he's often exploring one virtual world or another. He can be reached at tbarker@post-dispatch.com. 
I wanted to comment on this post as someone who works in the online fire & rescue community. As an editor for FireLink.com, we cover firefighter LODDs very seriously and supportively. Firefighters come from all over the country to post their thoughts and well-wishes, offer support for each other, and learn from tragedies within the firefighting force.
I personally believe the learning part is one of the most important, which is why we provide this space (similar to Facebook), for these men and women to come together.
We are covering the Hummert tragedy on FireLink.com, and I offer this community to anyone who wants to join.