Wake held for fallen Brooklyn first responder
The wake will be held at McCanus Funeral Home on Avenue N. There will be two sessions - one from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. and another from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
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The wake for Frederick D. Whiteside, an EMT from Brooklyn who died 10 days ago, took place on Monday.
The wake was held in two sessions at McCanus Funeral Home on Avenue N. The first session took place from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. and the second session will take place from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
FDNY officials say the 43-year-old EMT died from cardiac arrest on Nov. 17 while working at a 911 dispatch center in the Bronx. He had been working dispatch since 2019 but first began his career with the FDNY in 2002.
The FDNY says he is survived by his daughter, mother and brother.
The loved ones of Whiteside say that he was a jokester who was very well-loved and was a man who cherished his wife and 14-year-old daughter.
"He was that guy that everybody knew, everybody that ever worked with him, whether it was one tour or over the years, they just talk consistently about how he had a presence when he walked into a room," said FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh. "He was the guy who kept everybody's spirit uplifted, so a huge loss for the fire department family."
Last Sunday, a bunting ceremony was held in the Bronx drawing a large crowd of mourning firefighters. Later that day, Whiteside's colleagues were seen lining the street in Midtown as his body was transferred to the medical examiner’s office.
Whiteside's funeral will be held on Wednesday at the Christian Cultural Center. He will then be taken to Greenwood Cemetery.
