A Southern Minnesota community is mourning the loss of a firefighter that has been battling more than fires over the last 7+ years. Albert Lea Fire Rescue posted on Sunday morning that Leutenient Brett Boss, who was initially diagnosed with cancer in 2014, lost his battle against cancer Saturday.

According to a post to the Fighting Cancer like a Boss Facebook Page, Brett succumbed to his 4th bout of cancer after stopping chemotherapy recently.

The news that Boss has passed came just a day after a post notifying friends of Brett that he was laying comfortably with family at home after stopping chemo.

Boss has been a long-time member of Albert Lea Fire Rescue and had often been up to the Minnesota legislature to talk about the connection between firefighters and cancer, and ways that the legislature could help fund equipment meant to remove carcinogens found on equipment used to battle fires by firefighters.

Brett touched many in the community through his job, and many in the community rallied around the Boss family every time they were dealt a blow with the cancer diagnosis. It also went the other way when Brett was found to be cancer-free, everyone celebrated.

Brett and his family lived just right down the road from my wife and me, and when I had the chance to talk with him on the air, as Albert Lea Fire Rescue would come in once a month to talk on the radio, I found him to be a funny and caring guy, who when the mics were off was a little more colorful.

Services for Brett are still pending, but there is a GoFundMe to help his family and a meal train site for those wanting to lend a hand in their time of sorrow.

Take some time today or this week and do something kind and unannounced for someone, it's what Brett I'm sure would have wanted.

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