Scores of FDNY members bid their final farewell Wednesday to Frederick D. Whiteside, a veteran EMT with “a resilient and optimistic spirit” who joined not long after the September 11 terrorist attacks – and died of a heart attack earlier this month while working at a 911 dispatch center.
The fallen hero’s casket, draped in an American flag, was carried out of the back of an ambulance as bagpipers played “Amazing Grace” – and brought into the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, where family members and a sea of uniformed colleagues gathered to pay their respects.
Whiteside, a 43-year-old father and Brooklyn native who has been with the Fire Department for more than two decades went into cardiac arrest during his Nov. 17 shift at a Bronx dispatch center.
“Think about it folks – 21 years,” Mayor Eric Adams told the gathered mourners. “He became an EMT months after our center of trade was attacked at 9-11. Many people were uncertain if we were going to fill those ranks. No one wanted to be those first responders anymore. And he stood up and he stated, ‘I will do it.’ Like many of you have.
“Let’s continue to lift up his name. Let’s continue to be committed to providing the service that the people of this city expect,” Adams said.
Whiteside joined the FDNY in April 2002, and spent his career helping residents of the Bronx and Brooklyn as part of EMS Divisions 2 and 3. He had been working in the dispatch center since 2019.
The late EMT lived a “full life” dedicated not only to his career, but to his family, especially his teen daughter Jaylynn – who was presented later in the ceremony with an FDNY helmet in her father’s honor – and his mother, Audrey, the mayor said.
“His body is only a reflection of his dedication and commitment that he gave to the city that he loved,” Hizzoner said. “And [Whiteside] also gave me something else. I have been saying for the longest I was going to get a tattoo with my mother’s name on me. Looking at his tattoo, I’m getting my tattoo.”
Whiteside’s greatest passions were “being a father to his beautiful daughter” and “being a doting son was as natural for him as being an EMT,” FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh told the assembly.
Professionally, he was an “experienced EMT, especially known for his ability to connect with his patients, providing them the comfort and calm that they needed in their toughest and darkest moments,” Kavanagh said.
“But it was his personality that was hardest not to notice,” she added. “Everyone wanted him on their team. Easy to work with. Reliable, funny and passionate about the FDNY. He was a natural leader, working as a union delegate and being respected by his peers and his bosses alike.”
EMS Captain Jason Saffon recalled Whiteside’s signature response whenever anyone asked him how he was doing: “Just peachy.”
“And it wasn’t just a catchphrase,” Saffron said. “It was a symbol of his resilient and optimistic spirit. Even in the face of life’s challenges, he approached every day with a positive outlook that inspired everyone around him.”
“Whether he was sharing food, a boisterous laugh with colleagues, or providing a comforting presence he always created a sense of unity, and community,” the captain recalled.
Whiteside marks the 1,160th FDNY member to die in the line of duty.
The last fallen FDNY member was Firefighter William P. Moon II, a 47-year-old dad of two who died in December during a training accident at his Brooklyn firehouse.