By Laura French
NEW YORK — An FDNY EMT who worked on rescue and recovery efforts after 9/11 has died from COVID-19.
EMT Gregory Hodge, 59, served with the department for 24 years and had been assigned to New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) since October 2016, the FDNY said in a statement late Sunday night. Hodge served as a watch commander at the NYCEM, managing citywide radio frequencies, weather forecasts and media reports to aid the unit’s 24/7 emergency management operation.
“EMT Hodge was a skilled first responder who provided outstanding emergency medical care to thousands of New Yorkers throughout his long and distinguished career of service,” FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said in a statement. “This pandemic has impacted our Department at every level, especially our EMS members who are responding to more medical calls than ever before. Now, they will continue to bravely answer those calls with even heavier hearts, having lost one of their fellow EMTs to COVID-19. Our entire Department mourns his loss.”
The FDNY also recently mourned the loss of civilian staff member Kellie Childs, 54, who died due to COVID-19 last week. Childs had been with the department for 32 years and was the director of the cashiers’ unit at the FDNY’s Bureau of Revenue Management, supervising the collection of payments for fire prevention licenses and certifications.
FDNY Auto Mechanic James Villecco, Deputy Chief Inspector Syed Rahman and Supervising Fire Protection Inspector Edward Mungin have also died from the virus.