Anne Sullivan was a gifted athlete filled with energy who came out of high school with a focus on being a firefighter. But about a month after graduating from the Houston Fire Department Academy, the 24-year-old was among four firefighters who died while searching for people they thought might be trapped in a blazing Houston motel and restaurant.
"She had a lot of energy and had her heart set at that," her father, Jack Sullivan, told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Also killed in the collapse during the Friday afternoon fire at the Southwest Inn were: Capt. Matthew Renaud, 35, who had been with department for 11½ years; Engineer Operator Robert Bebee, 41, who joined the department almost 12 years ago; and Firefighter Robert Garner, 29, who joined the department 2½ years ago.
The Houston Fire Department said 14 firefighters were taken to the hospital Friday. One remained in critical condition on Saturday and another underwent surgery. The rest were in stable condition and several have been released from the hospital.