Procession honors Hillsborough firefighter who died from COVID-19
TAMPA, Fla. - Firefighters from around the state held a funeral procession Wednesday morning for Giovanni Ciancio, who died in the line of duty from COVID-19.
The procession drove 23 miles from Riverview to Tampa. Dozens of fire trucks followed the hearse, while many firefighters and paramedics lined the route, saluting as the procession passed by.
Ciancio was assigned to station 15 in Palm River as a driver and engineer.
Friends say the 55-year-old was a great firefighter and a great person.
"A very solid firefighter. He was conscientious. He cared a lot about the citizens of the county," offered battalion chief David Bute. "And the one thing that really stuck out with me as he is a proud firefighter. He made sure that he always showed up to work on time. But he also made sure that he took good care of the citizens for the past 19.5 years."