A veteran FDNY EMT died while working at a Bronx 9-1-1 center Friday.
Frederick Whiteside, a 22-year veteran of the department, went into cardiac arrest while on-duty at Public Safety Answering Center 2.
“Our hearts are heavy over the loss of EMT Whiteside. With more than two decades of service to the FDNY, he was a dedicated public servant and front-line worker,” Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said in a statement. "With more than two decades of service to the FDNY, he was a dedicated public servant and front-line worker.”
Whiteside, 43, joined the department in April 2002 and worked in busy Bronx and Brooklyn units until moving to the dispatch office in 2019, FDNY officials said.
“He was a great father, he was my best friend,” EMT Calvin told the New York Post. “He was always saying, ‘I’m just peachy!’”
Sunday morning, bunting was hung at the dispatcher center where Whiteside collapsed as colleagues gathered to remember their colleague.
“He excelled — he was truly able to make a connection with the crews in the field, having worked an ambulance himself,” Deputy Assistant Chief Denise Werner recalled. “He will be deeply missed.”
CBS 2 News reported that Whiteside is survived by his daughter, mother and brother.
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