Vincent Doffont

On March 19, 2022, Firefighter Vincent Doffont of the Harrison Fire Department in New Jersey suffered a medical event after conducting a training exercise. Earlier in the day he had been assisting new members of the department with roof ventilation training. He returned to Harrison Fire Headquarters to shower and change, where Fellow firefighters found him unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital where he later passed away. Doffont joined the Harrison Fire Department in 2017. Prior, he served as a patrolman for the Harrison Police Department and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Department. He was a United States Marine Corps veteran and was 37 years old at the time of his death. 

Doffont was born in Harrison, NJ and was a resident of North Arlington. He was a gifted athlete and sports enthusiast who succeeded at the highest levels and was a true competitor. He was a star running back at St. Mary’s High School where he was named to all-county and all-state honors for football. He was inducted into the St. Mary’s Hall of Fame in 2015. He continued playing football as a defensive back at Montclair State University where he was a two-time All American. Doffont was a United States Marine for four years, following in the footsteps of his grandfather who served as a Marine during World War II as a Marine Raider in the Pacific. He was enthralled by his grandfather’s stories of his experiences and the heroics of the men he served alongside. Doffont served as a rifleman with the Infantry Battalion. He served two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded various medals after being wounded in action. During his deployment to Afghanistan, Vincent became a father to his first child, Liam. Although serving overseas meant missing precious moments at home, He understood the responsibility he had undertaken and remained committed to his fellow Marines and to his country. Upon his return, he began his law enforcement career as an officer with the Hudson County Sheriff’s Department and then as a patrolman with the Harrison Police Department. In 2017, he became a firefighter with the Harrison Fire Department. His lifelong dream was fulfilled, and he had the job he loved. His three uncles were also firefighters with the department and responded to Ground Zero after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. They helped with recovery efforts, and their courage and sacrifice shaped Doffont’s understanding of what it meant to serve others and helped define the path he chose for his own life. For Doffont, becoming a firefighter was more than a profession; it was a calling. He had spent his life looking for ways to protect, serve, and help others. He believed his life should be lived fully, with pride and determination. He was a real go-getter who would give you the shirt off his back. He loved his country and his community, with a servant’s heart who gave selflessly to others. 

Doffont married his wife, Brighid, and had two children, his son, Liam, and his daughter, Leighton. He passed his knowledge and love of football down to his son and coached and mentored countless young athletes through North Arlington Pop Warner and the East Orange Jr. Jaguars. He taught them discipline, confidence, teamwork, and perseverance. When Leighton was a child, he prepared her for a competitive cheerleading career, spending hours doing one-man stunts with her, tumbling her in his arms and encouraging her to believe in herself. His greatest legacy lives on in the people he loved and the people he inspired, especially his children. His lifelong values of strength, determination, courage, loyalty, and an unwavering commitment to others are the legacy he left with them. He didn’t simply wear a uniform; he lived a life of service. 

Firefighter Vincent Doffont is survived by his loving wife, Brighid, his son, Liam, his daughter, Leighton, his parents, MaryLynn and Vincent Doffont, his sister, Tara, and many other cherished family members and friends. 

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has paid off the mortgage on the Doffont family home through the Fallen First Responder Home Program.