Hillsborough firefighter dies from coronavirus complications

A Hillsborough County firefighter died this week of complications from the coronavirus, the county announced Friday.

Giovanni Ciancio, 55, was assigned to Station 15 in Palm River and worked for the department for more than 19 years. He caught the virus at work in July and died Thursday evening, county spokesman Chris Wilkerson said.

A county news release described Ciancio as a “courageous and honorable firefighter” who worked as a driver and engineer in the department. He was born in Italy and moved to the U.S. in his 20s.

County officials did not know whether Ciancio had been vaccinated, Wilkerson said. The county is not tracking the vaccination status of individual employees. Last month, county leaders began offering $500 and extra days off to employees who got the shot.

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