Incident
Deputy Sheriff Bob Moore was killed while attempting to rescue inmates during a fire at the Seminole County Jail on Park Avenue and Commercial Street in Sanford. The fire was started at 12:12 pm when an inmate on the 2nd floor lit his mattress on fire. Deputy Moore went into the building two times, freeing prisoners trapped in their cells. On his third trip through the building, he died of smoke inhalation. Ten inmates, including the inmate who started the fire, were also killed. Deputy Moore was a United States Army, Air Force, and Navy veteran, serving in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. In Korea, he was a prisoner of war for a year and a Purple Heart recipient from the Vietnam War. He had served with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office for eight months.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, son, and three daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FL-A34D2C83- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Deputy Sheriff Moore served with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Sanford community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Robert O. Moore, Jr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Deputy Sheriff Robert O. Moore, Jr. is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In FL, 313 of 1,008 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.1% of this state's fallen. That is 0.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Seminole County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 8 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert O. Moore, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Robert O. Moore, Jr. Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Robert O. Moore, Jr. is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
7 officers from Seminole County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.





