Firefighter Preston Fant. Courtesy of GoFundMe
ATLANTA - The funeral for DeKalb County Master Firefighter Preston Lee Fant, who died in the line of duty this week, will be held Thursday, Sept. 18, at Truist Park, officials confirmed Friday.
The backstory:
Fant, 53, a 21-year veteran of DeKalb County Fire Rescue, died Monday while attempting to rescue a colleague during a warehouse fire at Digital Thunderdome, an independent film studio on South Stone Mountain Lithonia Road.
He is the first firefighter in the county’s history to die while actively fighting a blaze.
Born in Marietta and raised in Mableton, Fant graduated from Pebblebrook High School before dedicating his life to public service. Over two decades at Station 24, he earned certifications in swift water, rope, trench, and structural collapse rescues. Colleagues remembered him as calm under pressure, a leader in the toughest conditions, and "the very definition of a firefighter."
Fant also was a devoted husband, father of five, and grandfather. He attended Burnt Hickory Baptist Church and enjoyed hunting, fishing, watching the Braves, and spending time with family.
He is survived by his wife, Leigh; children Sara, Ginger, Timothy, Amber, and Nathan; granddaughter Harper; father Tommy; and brother Chris. He was preceded in death by his mother, Peggy.
DeKalb County leaders have ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in his honor.
What we know:
Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. on the field at Truist Park, followed by the funeral service at 2 p.m. The public is welcome, and the service will be livestreamed.
A procession will then travel to Kennesaw Memorial Park for a graveside service, according to West Cobb Funeral Home and Crematory.
Parking and gate information will be released Monday after further coordination with stadium officials.
What you can do:
Donations may be made to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at firehero.org.
The county also set up a GoFundMe account.
The Source: DeKalb County government provided the details for this article.