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An Edwardsville paramedic died of COVID-19 complications on New Year's Day, the fire department said Saturday.
Jason Taylor had served the Edwardsville Fire Department for three years, the department posted on Facebook.
"We are saddened by the loss of Paramedic Taylor," Fire Chief Tim Whitham said in a statement. "Jason served our city and our citizens with compassion and expertise; we will miss him dearly."
In a Facebook post, the City of Edwardsville Professional Firefighters Association wrote that Taylor loved helping others and photographing other firefighters.
Jason Taylor was a proud member of the Edwardsville Fire Department since 2018 as a Paramedic for the EMS side of the...
Posted by City of Edwardsville Professional Firefighters Association on Friday, January 1, 2021
"We are truly honored to have had the pleasure to work and know such a beautiful human being," the association wrote.
In 1998, Taylor started his career with Franklin County Emergency Medical Services. He then worked for Bonner Springs for much of his career before starting in Edwardsville.
He graduated from Penn Valley Community College in 2008, the department said, and became a mobile intensive care technician. He also worked as an instructor-coordinator through the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services.
The fire department is accepting donations for Taylor's family at its headquarters at 698 S. 4th Street.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Three members of the Kansas City Fire Department have died of COVID-19, including two in one weekend in November.
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