Baltimore County Fire lieutenant who died of cancer remembered as devoted father and husband

Hundreds gathered for a memorial service to honor Baltimore County Fire Lt. Raymond Vargas Jr., who died on Thursday, March 27, from cancer.

Vargas, who served out of Baltimore County Fire Station 55 in Perry Hall, was considered a mentor, friend, and leader.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore ordered the Maryland and U.S. flags lowered to half-staff until Wednesday evening on the day of his interment.

"The coolest, chillest tio"

Aisha Vargas, Vargas's niece, spoke on behalf of the family during his memorial service. She calls him "tio," or uncle. 

"While many may know him as Ray or Raymond, we know him as tio, as dad, as son, as little bro, as cousin — the calmest out of all the Vargas sisters," said Aisha Vargas. "Always the coolest, bestest, chillest tio." 

Lt. Vargas was the youngest of five and grew up in the Bronx, New York, dreaming of becoming a firefighter. His passion was so great that it brought him to Baltimore County, where he served as a firefighter for 12 years.

"His legacy isn't solely defined by his craft," said Baltimore County Fire Chief Joseph Dixon Sr. "He was a devoted father, a devoted husband and friend whose love for those around him knew no bounds."

Many described Vargas as a mentor and the kind of guy who would call to check on his peers and his mother often.

"He clearly cared deeply about the civilians in his care, his brothers and his sisters in the fire department and all his friends," said Eddie Mayorga, a relative of the Vargas family. "But when you mention love in the same breath as Raymond, we cannot fail to mention his inspiration, his foundation, his family." 

Firefighters' battle with cancer

Lieutenant Vargas' passing is recognized as a Line of Duty Death under Maryland's Occupational Disease Presumption law. It acknowledges the increased risk of cancer among firefighters due to occupational exposure to toxic substances.

Cancer is one of the most dangerous threats to firefighters' health and safety.

Cancer caused 66% of the career firefighter line-of-duty deaths from 2002 to 2019, according to data from the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). Heart disease caused 18% of career LODDs for the same period.

Cancer caused 70% of the line-of-duty deaths for career firefighters in 2016.

Firefighters have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population, according to research by the CDC/National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH).