Douglas R. Simpkins Sr., a retired firefighter and emergency dispatcher, died of heart failure Oct. 26 at a hospital near his retirement home in Levels, W.Va. He was 73 and had lived for many years in Halethorpe.

He retired in 1974 as a firefighter-dispatcher after 20 years with the Baltimore County Fire Department at Station 5, Halethorpe and the Towson headquarters' communications division. He was custodian of Ascension Roman Catholic Church and a security guard at B. Green & Co., food wholesalers.

Born and raised in Bedford, Va., Mr. Simpkins earned a GED degree.

From 1947 to 1951, he served in an Air Force firefighting crash crew at Roswell, N.M., and attained the rank of sergeant.

In 1988, after moving to Levels, he joined the community's volunteer fire company and was its senior adviser-dispatcher.

Services were to be held at 10 a.m. today at the Ambrose Funeral Home, 1328 Sulphur Spring Road in Arbutus.

Surviving are his wife of 52 years, the former Helen A. Henn; six sons, Douglas R. Simpkins Jr. of Catonsville, Norman V. Simpkins Sr. of Levels, Keith E. Simpkins Sr. of Aberdeen, Brian G. Simpkins Sr. of Arbutus, Timothy C. Simpkins of Oak Grove, Ky., and Scott J. Simpkins Sr. of Savannah, Ga.; a daughter, Drucilla A. Hornbeck of Port Ritchie, Fla.; two brothers, Cleo Simpkins of Fullerton and Curtis Simpkins of Essex; 18 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

A son, Milton Thomas Simpkins, died in 1995, and a daughter, Deborah E. Baker-Kemper, died last year.