By Laura French
WARREN COUNTY, N.J. — The family of an EMT and 911 director who died in the line of duty while responding to a motor vehicle crash involving his daughter is seeking donations four years after his death.
Lakeland Emergency Squad EMT Eskil Scott Danielson, 49, died in 2016 after helping treat his then-19-year-old daughter and a person in another vehicle when he suffered a heart attack while waiting to check on his daughter at the hospital.
“The last interaction I had with my son before his passing was me closing his eyes and promising him that I would protect his family,” Danielson’s father, Eskil “Skip” Danielson, wrote in the description of a fundraiser set up for the family through Fund the First.
“Skip” Danielson, a retired Byram Township police chief, wrote that his son’s widow, Tammy Danielson, has been fighting for line-of-duty death benefits since 2016, and has incurred $70,000 in debt during the legal battle. The New Jerse Workmen’s Compensation Court awarded full compensation in November 2019, but the insurer appealed and further hearings have been delayed due to COVID-19, according to the fundraiser description.
The fundraiser seeks $25,000 to support Danielson’s family, and has raised nearly $2,000 since it began on August 5.
In addition to serving as an EMT with Lakeland Emergency Squad for more than 35 years and previously serving as chief of the squad, Danielson was also the director of communications and 911 at the Warren County Department of Public Safety. His surviving family include his brothers, Andover Township Police Chief Eric Danielson and Clifton Firefighter Kevin Danielson, daughters Alycia and Amanda Danielson and son, U.S. Airman Aaron Danielson.
Eight of Danielson’s family members are active first responders, according to “Skip” Danielson.