Public servants prepared to risk their lives every workday, such as firefighters and law enforcement officers, share a certain brotherhood.

This community saw that bond two years ago when a deranged man gunned down two Athens police officers, Sgt. Larry Russell and Tony Mims, in an ambush shooting and lawmen from throughout the state attended their funerals.

So when local firefighters heard the news Tuesday night that two Moulton firefighters had been killed when a wall collapsed while they were putting out a fire, they immediately began making plans to pay their respects to bereaved families.

Lawrence County Coroner Greg Randolph identified the victims as Moulton Assistant Fire Chief Lloyd McCulloch, 64, and firefighter Justin Jones, 24.

According to the Associated Press, crews were dousing remaining hot spots at Outdoor Parts and Service, Inc., which caught fire Tuesday afternoon, when the wall fell. Other firefighters tried to dig the men out from under metal siding and rubble as ambulances and a medical helicopter were called.

In a ritual shocked viewers became familiar with after the fall of the World Trade towers, firefighters took off their helmets Tuesday night and prayed after finding the bodies of the two men.

Randolph said the men died from internal injuries to the head and chest.

Athens Fire Chief Cliff Christopher said he had talked to Moulton Fire Chief Keith Vinson early Wednesday.

“Chief Vinson said that the bodies have been sent for autopsies, so there will be some delay,” said Christopher. “He said he would call me (today) when he knows about funeral arrangements.”

Christopher said he was getting a group of local firefighters together to go to Moulton for services.

“We will definitely be going to represent the city of Athens,” said Christopher.

Meanwhile, Athens Mayor Dan Williams has ordered the city hall flag lowered to half-staff in honor of the fallen firefighters and all volunteer fire departments throughout Limestone County have also lowered flags.

Williams said that he knew Assistant Chief Lloyd McCulloch when they were children.

“He and I were in first grade together in Moulton,” said Williams. “My dad went back to work for the health department and he worked in Moulton. Lloyd and I went to school together and to church together. We were close boyhood friends, but I hadn’t seen him in years.”

Harold King, a member of Oak Grove-Thach Volunteer Fire Department, who also helps out during day calls with Elkmont VFD, said county firefighters are talking of sending some of their members to attend the Moulton firefighters’ funerals.

Neither Christopher nor King could recall any city or county firefighters dying at a fire scene, but King said one county firefighter was killed en route to a fire when his truck flipped and another was killed while clearing debris after a windstorm when a limb fell on his truck.