Chapman marks 14th anniversary of paramedic's line-of-duty death
Joshua Weissman was last Alexandria first responder to die in the line of duty
Councilman John Taylor Chapman, visibly emotional, paused during oral reports at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting to remember Paramedic Joshua Weissman, the last Alexandria first responder to die in the line of duty, on the 14th anniversary of his death.
“Even though it has been 14 years since he passed away in the line of duty, it is not something that goes without being thought about by folks in the profession, folks in the city,” Chapman said. “I think a number of us in the community take it for granted — people putting their lives on the line and the fact that things can go wrong in the field.”
Chapman, the longest-serving member of the current council, referenced a post from Alexandria Firefighters Inc., IAFF Local 2141, shared Sunday on the anniversary.
“Gone but not Forgotten,” the union wrote. “Today, we remember Josh and his sacrifice he made serving the citizens of the City of Alexandria.”
“I just wanted to continue to bring that to people — making sure those folks who have died in their service in the city are not forgotten,” Chapman said.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins thanked Chapman for the tribute.
“Thank you, Councilman Chapman, especially for making sure that we never forget and continue to remember those who have served our city and served our region and the impact that they have made on all of us and so many in our city,” Gaskins said.
Weissman, 33, died on February 9, 2012, after falling approximately 30 feet from Interstate 395 into Four Mile Run Creek while responding to a car fire near Shirlington. He was a seven-year veteran of the Alexandria Fire Department, working out of the Seminary Road station.
Fellow firefighters pulled him from the creek and performed CPR before rushing him to Washington Hospital Center, where he died the following afternoon from a severe head injury.
Weissman is the most recent of 18 names on the Alexandria Fire Department’s Roll Call of the Fallen, which dates to 1852. The deadliest incident in department history came in 1855, when seven firefighters were killed in a wall collapse while fighting a fire in the 100 block of King Street.
His death prompted an outpouring of support from the firefighting community. Nearly 2,000 mourners attended his funeral at Beth El Hebrew Congregation, with firefighters from across the nation gathering in Alexandria to pay their respects. Governor Bob McDonnell ordered flags at half-staff throughout Alexandria and Arlington.
The city dedicated the Joshua A. Weissman Professional Development Center, 1108 Jefferson St., in his honor on February 8, 2013. The plaque reads: “In honor of his achievements in the field of Emergency Medical Services and his meritorious service as an educator, mentor, and friend.”
Chapman also thanked volunteer election officers working Tuesday’s special election, noting that he met the chief election officer at MacArthur Elementary whose son had stopped by to check on her during her shift.
“A number of individuals give up a day of work to make sure that we have the opportunity to vote here in the city,” Chapman said. “We are certainly appreciative of them.”
He also offered condolences to the family of Judge William Newman, one of the first African Americans to serve on the Arlington County Board, whose death was announced Tuesday.