A veteran Washington firefighter-EMT died of a heart attack after responding to two calls last week.
Kalama Fire Lt. Alan Basso, 59, responded to two emergencies with the department Friday, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. The last call was shortly before 9 a.m.
As he was driving in downtown Kamala just before 2 p.m., Basso suffered cardiac arrest, and his car struck several parked vehicles. He was unconscious and not breathing, and CPR was performed on him by an off-duty Portland firefighter. Basso eventually was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“It is difficult to capture in words the true spirit of such a pure, sincere human being," Fire Chief Victor Leatzow said in a statement. "The honesty, humor and integrity of Alan cannot be replaced within our community or organization."
Basso had been a part of the fire service for 36 years. Over the years, he served as a firefighter with the Kalama and Longview fire departments, as well as the Washington Department of Natural Resources and Washington State University.
“You could always count on Al. He was always in good spirits, he made long days feel short, he never got excited, and his radio voice was commanding and memorable," Troy Buzalsky, who was Basso’s battalion chief at Longview," said in a statement. "You could always count of Al … no questions asked.”
