Manassas Fire And Rescue Service Announces Death Of Former Assistant Fire Marshal

MANASSAS, VA – The City of Manassas Fire and Rescue Department has announced the death of one of its own, former Master Technician and Assistant Fire Marshal Justin Laidler.

Laidler died on Monday at his home in Woodstock at the age of 37 after a battle with the progressive neurodegenerative disease ALS, according to his family.

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Manassas Fire and Rescue called him a beloved member of their team. “He faithfully served our community for more than 15 years, growing up alongside our department,” the department wrote. “When he first came to Manassas, he was a young man with an incredible work ethic and an unwavering determination to serve our citizens to the very best of his ability. No task was ever too small, and no challenge was too great.”

Laidler joined the Strasburg Fire Department as a volunteer in 2005. He graduated from Virginia’s Fire Marshal Law Enforcement Academy in 2017. He was sworn in as an assistant fire marshal in Manassas in 2018.

In September 2025, Laidler joined the Frederick County Fire and Rescue Service as a deputy fire marshal. He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of ALS a few months later, Manassas Fire and Rescue writes.

Laidler leaves behind a wife, Brittany, and three children: Grayson, Kellen and Savannah.