Community honors fallen Council Bluffs firefighter Charles Jones with final salute
Community members lined the streets of downtown Council Bluffs on a rainy Thursday morning to honor firefighter and medic Charles Jones, whose 19 years with the fire department ended with his death last week at age 52.
Firefighters gathered Thursday for Jones' funeral and a final procession, standing alongside residents who came to pay their respects to a man many described as funny, hardworking and devoted to his job.
“It's worth it just to come and pay our respects,” said Don Whannell, who attended with his wife. Their son, a retired firefighter, played the bagpipes during the ceremony at Council Bluffs Fire Headquarters.
An oversized U.S. flag hangs from two fire engine ladders as local and area firefighters march onto South Fourth Street from West Broadway during a memorial procession for fallen Council Bluffs firefighter and paramedic Charles Jones on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.
The procession followed Jones' funeral Mass, traveling along the 100 block of West Broadway before turning south onto South Fourth Street and ending at headquarters. There, the department's honor guard struck the Four Fives, presented Jones' family with the International Association of Fire Fighters Medal of Honor and his helmet, and conducted a final radio call.
Jerry Wiser, a firefighter in Tabor, said he came to support his fellow firefighters and honor a man he knew for years.
“He's a brother,” Wiser said. “We're here to support our brothers and sisters in the Council Bluffs Fire Department.”
Wiser said Jones' work ethic was something other firefighters could learn from.
“If everybody had that work ethic that Chuck had, we wouldn't be losing buildings,” he said.
Shawna Gorman, a firefighter in Silver City who met Jones only a couple of times, said he still left a lasting impression.
“He was always laughing and joking and giving you a little bit of (grief) here and there,” Gorman said. “Just a really good example to put forth.”
Council Bluffs Fire Capt. Jason Sornson, right, delivers the helmet of fallen firefighter and paramedic Charles Jones to his wife, Jill, at left, during a memorial at the Council Bluffs Fire Department headquarters on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.
Patrice DeVault, who lived next door to Jones' parents for about 10 years, remembered him as a kind man with a big personality and a sense of humor.
“He was just funny and like a big teddy bear,” DeVault said.
DeVault said she wore red to honor Jones, knowing he was an Iowa Hawkeyes fan. The gesture gave her one last opportunity to joke with a man she remembered as anything but mean.
For DeVault, attending the service was also about supporting the people who serve the community and the family left behind.
“I wouldn't want to ever have to go through this,” she said. “You have to support your community and the people that serve and protect you.”
The casket and uniform of fallen Council Bluffs firefighter and paramedic Charles Jones are seen on the back of a fire engine during a memorial procession for Jones on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.
Firefighters from other area departments helped cover for Council Bluffs crews so they could attend the services.
Jones died Oct. 8 after experiencing a medical emergency following a basement fire response three days earlier. During that call, he helped rescue a woman from the home. He later responded to a separate call involving an elderly man who had fallen.
DeVault said those calls reflected the kind of firefighter Jones was: someone who kept going when there was work to do.
“He was the type of guy that he didn't give up,” she said. “He just, 'OK, we got a call. That's what I do. Let's go.'”
