Matt Dawson Obituary; Lubbock Firefighter Matt Dawson Has Passed Away.

Matt Dawson, a Lubbock firefighter who was gravely hurt while performing his duties in 2020, died on Sunday. In January 2020, Dawson sustained severe injuries while responding to a collision scene in North Lubbock. While on the site, Lubbock Fire Rescue Lieutenant Eric Hill and Lubbock Police Officer Matt Nicholas Reyna both perished in the line of duty.

After the collision, Dawson sustained a catastrophic brain injury that left him permanently unable. The collision happened close to FM 1294 and Interstate -27 shortly before nine in the morning. Hill passed away at University Medical Center, and Officer Reyna was declared dead at the spot.

After returning home in August 2020, Dawson started supporting the 5-5-5 Safety Initiative, which Eric Hill’s parents had started.

Next May, the Dawson Act was approved, providing benefits to first responders and their families in the event that they are hurt while performing their duties. In June 2023, Governor Abbott ratified the legislation. Workers who sustain a brain injury while doing their duties may now be eligible for lifetime pay benefits under the Matt Dawson Act if their accident causes a “permanent, major neurocognitive disorder or psychotic disorder.”

HB 2864 not only increases the list of injuries that can be used to determine an injured worker’s eligibility for benefits, but it also offers benefits to volunteer first responders. In April 2022, Dawson announced his retirement from the Lubbock Fire Department. A month later, in June 2022, he received the Lubbock Unsung Hero award.