Rural Metro cadet dies of heat/dehydration, chief says

Rural Metro Fire cadet Cody Treatch was on his way to serving alongside his fire marshal father.

But, on Aug. 14, the second day of his academy training, something went terribly wrong. Treatch suffered a heat/dehydration-related emergency and was taken to a hospital for treatment, Rural Metro Fire Chief Karl Isselhard said.

Treatch, a father and husband, died nine days later, on Aug. 23, never having left the hospital.

Family, friends and coaches of the young husband and father have flocked to social media, sharing memories. They say he was a brilliant baseball player who impacted everyone around him.

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“Cody’s passion for (baseball) was matched only by his kindness, determination, and the positive impact he made on everyone around him,” his Southwestern College baseball team posted on Facebook.

Rural Metro held a motorcade in Treatch’s honor, along with the Tucson Police Department, Tucson Fire Department, Northwest Fire District and Davis-Monthan Fire.

“Our focus is supporting the Treatch family and our personnel as we mourn the passing of Cody and work through this difficult time,” Isselhard said.