CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A first responder was laid to rest on Thursday, after a medical emergency claimed his life while he responded to a call. Flight Paramedic Kevin Robert was on a helicopter transporting a patient, when he suffered a medical event mid-flight.
He died on Wednesday, August 27. He had been on a flight headed to Albany Medical Center when the flight was diverted. Those who work in the field said it’s extremely rare for a first responder to die while on duty. But, what happened to Kevin was not unheard of.
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There’s a special tradition, a service death tradition, for those who die on the job. That’s how Kevin’s funeral service ended on Thursday afternoon at St. Edward the Confessor Church.
A helicopter flyover and the final call went out. The communications center reaches out to the base unit and receives no response, signifying a death on duty. Followed by dispatch tones…