An officer from the Newington Police Department died unexpectedly while off-duty at his home, according to police.

Officer Alan Tancreti, 49, died after suffering from a medical emergency on Saturday, police said. Emergency services responded to his home to provide aid, but he did not make it, according to police.

“Words cannot express the tremendous loss our family feels after losing Alan,” Newington Sgt. Ryan Deane said in a statement.

Deane described Trancreti, who the department referred to as “Tank,” as “ambitious, caring, supportive, and a great complement to” the rest of the staff.

Tancreti was the department’s field training officer, in charge of training all new officers. He spent 7½ years with the department, Deane said.

He received an award from the department for heroism he exhibited during a fire in 2018, Deane said. Tancreti and other officers helped evacuate the Grantmoor Motor Lodge, saving people from possible smoke inhalation, he said.

Tancreti was a father of three and did anything he could for his kids, Deane said.

“And he was somebody who, yes, he’s a police officer, but he was a dad first,” Deane said.

Tancreti loved coaching his son’s hockey team and coached hockey in the south for a long time, he said. He was a former history teacher, too, Deane said.

A fund to support his three children was established following an outpouring of support for the family, according to the Newington police.

Donations to the fund can be made out to Christine Tancreti and sent to The Children of Alan Tancreti at P.O. Box 527, West Haven, CT, 06516. This address is the only authorized means of donations, despite other fundraising solicitations that are out there mentioning Trancreti, police said.