McDowell County firefighter J.D. Lawson named 2026 fallen hero

McDowell County lost one of its most experienced volunteer responders, and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has placed Jeffrey Dale “J.D.” Lawson Jr. among its 2026 fallen heroes. The War Volunteer Fire Department deputy chief died on February 17, 2025, at age 54 while responding to a structure fire in the Jolo area, a death that underscored how heavily small mountain communities depend on volunteers when the pager goes off.

Lawson was born in Welch on October 30, 1970, and joined the War Volunteer Fire Department in June 1985. He spent nearly four decades serving in public safety, first as a police officer in War in March 1989, then with the Bluefield Police Department from July 1990 through August 1997. After moving to Maryland in 1997, he built another long career with the Berlin Police Department, where he served as SWAT commander, firearms instructor and later patrol commander and lieutenant before retiring on September 30, 2023. He also served as a captain with the Ocean City Fire Department and remained a life member there.

Even after leaving West Virginia for years, Lawson stayed tied to War and returned there with his wife, Bernadette, after retirement. That connection mattered in a county where the latest census count was 19,111 residents, and where volunteer departments often carry the first and sometimes only line of response for fires, wrecks and medical calls across remote hollows and narrow roads.

On the night of the fire, multiple departments were dispatched around 7:30 p.m. to a reported structure fire. Lawson became sick on the way in, told the driver he needed medical attention and was transferred to EMS before being taken to Welch Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead after emergency efforts. Gary M. Coleman, 51, of Jolo, who was also involved in the incident, collapsed from smoke inhalation, was airlifted to Charleston, and was treated and released. The fire was Coleman’s home, and the cause remains under investigation.

Lawson’s death drew a procession on February 21, 2025, that carried him from Charleston to Welch, with law-enforcement officers from the State Fire Marshal’s Office leading the escort. Robbie Bailey of the State Fire Marshal’s Office said Lawson was known for taking care of people, helping other departments with equipment, training and new ideas, a reputation that stretched beyond War and into neighboring volunteer companies.

The national memorial weekend for fallen firefighters was held May 2 and 3, 2026, and Lawson was listed among 97 firefighters who died in 2025 and 107 from previous years. For McDowell County, the honor marks more than a formal recognition. It places Lawson’s name beside the long line of local volunteers who protect small communities with limited staffing, long drive times and heavy dependence on neighbors who answer every alarm.