Members of the community came together Wednesday to honor a St. Paul firefighter who died in the line of duty last week.

Captain Chris Parsons joined St. Paul Fire in 2000 and was promoted to captain in 2007.

Last week, he lost his life after suffering a “major medical event” following his shift.

Despite his death, officials say Parsons’s impact will be felt for generations because of the work he did to fight for a ban on cancer-causing chemicals and to ensure firefighters and their families get financial help when they’re hurt on the job.

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He was a founding board member of the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE), which works to prioritize and protect firefighters’ lives.

“Almost every piece of legislation that benefits firefighters and their families in Minnesota, Chris Parsons either championed himself or he had a major role of pushing them through,” George Esbensen, MnFIRE’s president, said.

Visitation for Parsons was held until 1 p.m. on Wednesday in Minneapolis, and a memorial was scheduled for immediately afterward.

Gov. Tim Walz also ordered all flags at half-staff until the end of the day.