Pompano Beach paramedics responding to a motorcycle accident early Sunday were stunned to learn that the victim was one of their own.
Pompano Beach firefighter Ronald White, 45, was traveling north around 1:30 a.m. in the 1900 block of State Road A1A when he hit a guardrail and was thrown from his bike, said Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Liz Calzadilla-Fiallo. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
It was not known if he was wearing a helmet.
''It's sad, it's shocking, and it's a great loss to the fire-rescue division,'' said Pompano Beach spokeswoman Sandra King.
White worked at Station 63 as a firefighter, driver-engineer and also a paramedic. He had worked with the department for almost 11 years, and had been studying to take the lieutenant's test.
''He was studying day and night,'' said Fire Chief Harry Small. ''Every time I saw him, he had books under his arm.''
Originally from Canada, White worked as a firefighter in Lake Worth before moving to Pompano Beach.
He lived not far from the accident scene, in an old beach house he had restored.
Described as a caring and compassionate professional, White would often receive letters of gratitude from people he had helped.
''He was a good-natured guy,'' Small said. ''There was not a malicious bone in his body.''
White is survived by his mother and twin brother, who both live in Canada.
Funeral arrangements were pending late Sunday.
Distributed by the Associated Press
