FDNY member dies after suffering cardiac arrest on the job: officials

BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — A FDNY emergency medical technician died while on duty in the Bronx, Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh announced on Friday.  

Frederick D. Whiteside, 43, went into cardiac arrest while working at a New York City 911 dispatch center. Whiteside was an FDNY veteran of 22 years, officials said.

“Our hearts are heavy over the loss of EMT Whiteside,” 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. We are saddened by his sudden passing and join his family and friends in mourning his loss.”

Whiteside was appointed to the FDNY in April 2002. He spent much of his career serving in the Bronx and Brooklyn, working in EMS Division 2 and EMS Division 3. Whiteside had been working at the dispatch center since 2019. 

Whiteside is survived by his daughter, mother, and brother. 

“This is a heartbreaking loss for New York’s Bravest, and for our entire city,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “EMT Whiteside spent his career helping those in need, saving lives of New Yorkers. We join the entire Fire Department and every New Yorker in mourning his loss, and pray for EMT Whiteside, his family, and his friends.”