‭ OR IMMEDIATE RELEASE‬

F ‭ hone: (585).440.5990‬
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‭Contact: Collin Van Laeken‬ ‭Email: info@RocCityems.org‬

‭New Years Eve Tragedy‬

‭ OCHESTER, NEW YORK, January 3rd, 2024--‬

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‭A new year has only just begun and sadly, our city of Rochester has already seen its first tragedy. Our‬
‭thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to the victims, to their families, and to everyone affected by the‬
‭traumatic event on West Ridge Road on New Years Day.‬

‭ s the events of Monday morning unfolded, a total of eight ambulances and almost twenty EMS‬
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‭personnel responded to this incident, including a Monroe Ambulance crew who stopped to assist in the‬
‭care and triage of those directly affected.‬

‭ mong those responders were AMR Critical Care Paramedic and union Chairwoman Julie Purick and her‬
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‭partner, AMR EMT and union representative Davin Eshelman, arriving as one of the first units to the‬
‭scene. While the exact details of the event will be forthcoming, upon arrival, the pair immediately began‬
‭assisting and triaging patients and attempted the rescue of an individual suffering serious injury adjacent‬
‭to a fully engulfed vehicle.‬

‭ fter transporting a critically injured patient to Strong Memorial, it became apparent that the pair had‬
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‭been exposed to respiratory injuries secondary to the inhalation of hot smoke and gas. As a result, both‬
‭individuals were hospitalized; Paramedic Purick was intubated and remains on a ventilator with‬
‭significant signs of improvement.‬

‭ MS professionals are often privileged to stand among the men and women of the first response‬
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‭community who put their own wellbeing on the line in service of a greater good.‬

‭ hile members of the Rochester Fire Department, the Rochester Police Department and American‬
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‭Medical Response perform heroic efforts in service of others, rarely do the members of these collective‬
‭teams allow themselves to be appropriately recognized for it.‬

‭ hile‬ ‭awaiting‬‭the‬‭findings‬‭of‬‭the‬‭investigation‬‭into‬‭the‬‭events‬‭of‬‭January‬‭1st,‬‭we‬‭offer‬‭our‬‭thanks‬‭and‬
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‭support‬‭for‬‭all‬‭responders‬‭to‬‭this‬‭tragic‬‭event‬‭and‬‭appreciate‬‭the‬‭public's‬‭respect‬‭for‬‭the‬‭privacy‬‭of‬‭those‬
‭affected.‬
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‭For more information about this release, please contact Aidan McInerney or Collin Van Laeken at‬
‭info@roccityems.org‬‭.‬