Cathedral City Fire Captain Passes Away

Firefighters in Cathedral City and around the Coachella Valley are mourning the death of Fire Captain Douglas Taylor.

In March of this year, Taylor underwent emergency brain surgery to remove a tumor. That operation left him incapacitated with what was understood would be a long and slow recovery.

“One goes down, we all go down. It’s a sad day for all of us,” Avila told City News Service.

Taylor began working in Cathedral City in 1989 as a firefighter paramedic and was promoted to paramedic captain in 1994. He was assigned to Truck 412 at the Cathedral City fire headquarters station, according to city spokeswoman Lynn Mallotto.

Captain Taylor is survived by his wife, Shelby and son, Garrett (age 11).

A memorial service is pending. All city flags in Cathedral City will remain at half-staff until dusk on the evening of the pending service.

In a statement released by the Cathedral City Fire Department, “The City of Cathedral City and the Cathedral City Fire Department express their deepest sympathies to the Taylor Family. Captain Taylor’s fire family is grateful to everyone for the outpouring of prayers, support and donations in recent months.”

Captain Taylor is survived by his wife, Shelby and son, Garrett, 11.