Honorees

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Year Honored
2013
Honoree
Joseph V. Schiumo
Title
EMT
Agency
Fire Department of New York - Bureau of EMS
Agency City
Brooklyn
Agency State
New York
Last Call
12/9/2012
Cause of Death
9/11 Illness
Biography
Joe was born August 1, 1965 in Brooklyn, New York. He belonged to St Bernadette's Parish and went to the grammar school of the same name. He played football at New Utrecht High School and never missed one day of school. He was loyal to his friends and family and neighbors there. Joe met his future wife, Monica, at an EMS class on Staten Island, NY. He started his EMS career with BRAVO, a local volunteer ambulance service in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn. In November of 1989 he was hired by NYC-EMS. His first assignment was to work at the Coney Island Station where he was awarded several lifesaving awards/certificates. His wife remembers how thrilled he was the first time he was present and assisted in delivering a baby in Brooklyn, on the bus. Joe and Monica were married in 1992 and have a beautiful daughter, Marie Rose. Joe loved being a dad, attending all of her school functions, coaching her in soccer, teasing and joking with her at home, and was extremely proud of her when she graduated from the Catholic High School Notre Dame in 2012. At Notre Dame he often participated in fund raising especially the annual golf tournament. Marie is blessed by inheriting the guidance that Joe thought was important: never miss a day of school or work (if you can help it), always be on time, respect the people you work or go to school with, and be grateful of the person you are and where you came from. His favorite movie was the Quiet Man starring John Wayne, for his strength and common sense. His favorite sport was football where he followed all teams, but he preferred the Dolphins. Joe loved his job at Station 20 in the Bronx, NY. He enjoyed working with his coworkers. He was proud of his uniform and the help he could provide on the ambulances. He was very proud of his assignment to drive "BOB", the Mobile Respiratory Therapy Unit - a bus-like vehicle capable of treating up to 40 patients-wittingly called the "Big Oxygen Bus," or BOB for short by the FDNY EMS workers. Joe had the gift and courage of being able to stop and help strangers, family, and friends if they needed help. He was a dependable person who would stop what he was doing to help you solve a problem. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Joe, like many other first responders, had operated at the scene of the country's worst terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. And like many of his fellow responders, Joe spent countless hours at the site searching for the remains of victims and his co-workers in the months to follow. In the years following the attack Joe developed and died from a rare blood disorder that was directly connected to his time spent at ground zero. "Joe had the soul that always told me that everything would be all right and that we will be together again." - Monica Schiumo