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A veteran FDNY EMT who was part of the rescue and recovery efforts during 9/11 has died from COVID-19, the department announced Tuesday.
John Redd, 63, was a 26-year EMS veteran, and he was assigned to FDNY's Emergency Medical Dispatch, the department stated in an online post. He served as an assignment receiving dispatcher, answering 9-1-1 calls for EMS and providing first aid instructions to callers before units arrived.
“When New Yorkers have a medical emergency they call 9-1-1 for help. EMT John Redd was the reassuring voice on the other end of that lifeline, talking to patients in need or families calling to bring badly needed care to a loved one,” Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said in a statement. “Thousands and thousands of times in his career, EMT Redd quite literally answered the call for help in our city. He was a vital part of our emergency medical response and all of the FDNY mourns his loss.”
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Redd, a Brooklyn resident, was a mentor for other EMD members during his career, the FDNY said. He also enjoyed photography and is survived by his wife, Donna, the department added.
