AFD Battalion Chief who helped in the aftermath of 9/11 passes away at 49

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Fire Department is mourning the passing of one of their battalion chiefs.

49-year-old Travis Maher passed away from cancer Wednesday. He was with the department for 23 years and responded to disasters across the country.

In the aftermath of 9/11, Maher, then a rookie firefighter, was one of ten crew members from the Austin Fire Department sent to search for victims.

"Whenever I hear references of 9/11, in an instant I see pictures in my mind, smells in my nose, feelings of being scared, being sad, the unknown with no experience, all that comes through like a flash," he said in 2021.

"He was giving to the state response and the nation's response and always tried to make a difference in people's lives," Assistant Chief Brandon Wade said.

According to the Texas Task Force Foundation, Maher went to the doctor for a stomachache and ended up being diagnosed with stomach cancer. Doctors thought Maher responding to 9/11 explained it. 

"We have the hazards of immediate dangers, but also the long-term hazards. Travis, while there are many factors, there's no doubt that the occupational hazards that come with firefighting and disaster response was a part of it," Wade said.

Maher was part of Texas A&M Task Force 1. He's done everything from helping with Hurricane Harvey preparations to training thousands of people of the years.

"It's very dangerous because you are dealing with structures that have been compromised that we don't know, a lot of times, to what extent. So it is somewhat of a game as far as trying to make a best of a bad situation," Maher said during a training exercise in 2016 about rescuing victims from a collapsed structure.

Wade says he remembers Maher as someone who many people looked up to and who always did things right.

"Even at the dirtiest incident, the hardest working fire, Travis not only got the job done, but he looked good while he was doing it," he said.

Two weeks ago, a group of firefighters did the "Long Walk for Travis" to honor him, just one piece of the outpouring of support from those who knew him. 

"It is an incredible loss for his family, obviously, and foremost, but it's also an immense loss for the city of Austin and the Austin Fire Department and the many organizations that he was a part of," Wade said.

Maher leaves behind his wife and two teenage sons. AFD says final arrangements are pending.