VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Scores of people came together Saturday afternoon for a special gathering at a Virginia Beach brewery; it was a celebration of life for the late Matthew Gallina.
The master firefighter died Wednesday of occupational cancer. He worked as an investigator and had been with the Virginia Beach Fire Department for more than 20 years.
His fellow firefighters gathered to remember him at “Pups And Pints” on London Bridge Road. Gallina’s close friend Joe Allen remembers him as a family guy who loved his children and always looked out for his friends.
“Matt and I have been longtime friends. We went to the firefighter academy together. I was in his wedding. We just clicked and we’ve been best friends ever since," Allen said. “He’s just a great guy, he would do anything for you. If you needed him at 2 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon, he’d be there for you.”
Gallina is one of several firefighters diagnosed with cancer in recent years. Virginia Beach Fire Chief Kenneth Pravetz said he continues to push for more cancer screenings for firefighters.
“This is happening entirely too often and – firefighters – we need to get the screenings," Pravetz said. “Matt was a wonderful teammate, a great friend, a great firefighter, great fire investigator... [a] wonderful person.”
Pravetz and others have also called for the list of presumptive cancers for firefighters to qualify for workers' compensation benefits to be expanded.
“It’s a dangerous job. We know it’s a dangerous job. But [we] need to put preventative measures in effect so firefighters can get tested and identified, and things can get caught much sooner," Pravetz said.
Cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters. Pravetz and Allen hope that by advocating for change, we can save the lives of those who put their lives on the line for the community.
“Hopefully they come up with early detection methods to help firefighters catch it early and give them a better chance of curing the cancer or fighting it," Allen said.
On Monday, the Virginia Beach Fire Department will host a memorial at Harbor Park. The service is at 1 pm and doors open at noon.
