The Alexandria paramedic who died last week may have died doing what he loved, but he was too young to die (“Paramedic dies after falling from roadway,” Metro, Friday). In an attempt to help others when responding to a car fire, Joshua Weisman, 33, fell over a railing and onto some jagged rocks in a creek below. He later succumbed to his serious head injuries.
The news of his death has left the public-safety community in the region reeling with both grief and shock. Residents of the local community, who knew Weissmann for his professionalism and genuine concern for others, share the pain of his loss.
The fire station where Weissmann worked is adorned with mourning ribbon, and his jacket hangs outside the rescue apparatus in memory and tribute to his life and service. Throughout his six-year career, Weissmann touched the lives of the many people with whom he came in contact. He lived up to the tenets that embrace the bona fide meaning of emergency medical/fire service.
Though all public safety workers understand the inherent danger of their work, they embrace their careers with unrelenting dedication, selflessness and concern for others. Joshua Weisman did all that. And he was well-respected and well-liked.
For his colleagues who now experience a tremendous void in the fire/emergency medical service family, they must continue to excel to greater heights in memory of their fallen comrade. For his wife and entire family, who grieve for the loss of their loved one, they must be comforted by fond memories, knowing that Weissman had all that he loved and the best of both worlds during his life: family and career.
Weissman’s memory will live on in the hearts of those who worked with him and those who knew him. For those of us who were not personally acquainted with him, the impact he made in public service leaves us with profound gratitude coupled with a wish that we could have had the privilege to meet him.
Rest in peace, Joshua Weisman.
KAREN L. BUNE
Adjunct professor
Department of Criminology, Law and Society
George Mason University
Fairfax
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