Another Long Island Tragedy

[Guest EM2FD]

Hey...

18 year old Floral Park (Long Island) Volunteer Firefighter Bobby Getschel was up late making sure all the candles from a vigil for a classmate killed in a car crash (he responded to that crash that killed a total of 4 kids) had been extinguished. The firefighter took a nap Thursday morning, took an exam, and went back to bed. He never woke up.

Getschel, who had open-heart surgery in 2001, died one day after fellow graduating senior Kevin McArthur, also 18, was among four young kids killed in a horrific accident. Firefighter Getschel, whose cause of death has yet to be determined, had responded to the scene of the crash in Floral Park early Wednesday.

The second death in two days of a member of Floral Park Memorial High's Class of 2006 shocked the close-knit school, which had planned a Tuesday morning memorial service for McArthur that now will include Firefighter Getschel. Both families will receive their loved ones' high school diplomas.

Students at Floral Park were not surprised that its newspaper staff recently honored Getschel with a front-page profile that said his recognition was "long overdue." But on Thursday, the very day the issue was distributed, his classmates were shocked to hear that Getschel, whose generosity and positive energy had touched so many lives, had unexpectedly died in his sleep.

Before he had his operation in 2001, Bobby was pale and his lips blue and he was coughing a lot, his father said. The family found out he had a connective tissue disorder, and with open-heart surgery doctors fixed one valve. After the operation, he had few physical problems, his father said.

Getschel had just visited his cardiologist for a checkup, and his doctor had said he was fine and that his next visit should be in a year. Next Saturday, Bobby would have graduated from high school. This fall, he would have enrolled in John Jay College of Criminal Justice in pursuit of his dream to become a Nassau County police officer.

The Floral Park Fire Department, where Getschel was just approved to be a rescuer, responded to the "male not breathing" call for Bobby on Thursday -- and firefighters were stunned to see one of their own. "Devastated," said Everett Ulmer, a chief at FPFD, recalling the moment he saw Getschel, one of his most committed firefighters.

On Sunday at 8 p.m., the FPFD will honor him as a full firefighter. Above details from Newsday.com. We will post updates on FireFighterCloseCalls.com. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families involved and to the Floral Park FD members.

*****PLEASE NOTE****** I did a search for this kid by his name, and I found his personal website....read his scrolling news, listen to the song he has on the site ("...you don't know what you have till' it's gone....") , the links he has etc....this kid was totally into the stuff we do.....so very sad for a promising, gung ho young member of our fire service.

http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/bobby1988/

Rest in Peace Little Brother BobbyG.

BillyG

The Secret List 6-17-06

www.FireFighterClosecalls.com