By Janelle Foskett
NEW YORK CITY — A paramedic who volunteer for assignment to fight COVID-19 in New York City died Thursday of complications from the virus.
Paul Cary, 66, who was deployed as part of Ambulnz’s State of New York COVID Response team, previously served as a firefighter-paramedic of more than 30 years with the Aurora (Colorado) Fire Department.
Ambulnz reports that Cary’s death marks the first line-of-duty death of a FEMA-deployed volunteer responder to the pandemic outbreak in New York.
Cary’s family released a statement about his death, according to ABC7 Denver: “Accepting Paul’s commitment to serving others in need, we respected his choice to volunteer to be part of Ambulnz’s response team to the COVID-19 crisis in New York City. He risked his own health and safety to protect others and left this world a better place. We are at peace knowing that Paul did what he loved and what he believed in, right up until the very end.”
Ambulnz CEO Stan Vashovsky released said the Ambulnz family is devastated by the loss, adding, “Paul’s career is best defined by his kindness and service to others.”