FDNY shares emotional tribute for EMS worker killed on the job: 'Heart of gold'

After one of the New York City Fire Department lost one of their own, firefighters came together to pay tribute to former Lt. Alison Russo.

Russo was stabbed and killed the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 29 while working at the department's EMS Station 49, located in Queens, New York, according to officials.

At approximately 2:20 p.m. at around 20th Avenue and Steinway Street, Russo was stabbed multiple times in what appears to be a random act of violence near the station. Officials said she was taken in critical condition to an area hospital where she later died of her injuries. She was 61-years-old and one year shy of retirement, according to the New York Times.

“Lieutenant Russo had a heart of gold; she was here for the whole station, she made sure that we were all ok," the FDNY wrote in an Instagram post, quoting paramedic Madelyn Higueros.

"We are a close-knit station. She made sure everyone went home safe. I have known her for over 13 years, she was the mother of the station. She was full of life; she was such a great person. It is a tragedy that we have to go through this again."

The New York Yankees also remembered the EMS worker, as thousands joined for a moment of silence during Saturday afternoon's game, according to NBC-owned station WNBC.

WNBC reported that on Friday, people gathered in a memorial outside the station house with bagpipes, a moment of silence and tribute. In addition to 25 years as an EMS worker, Russo was one of the heroes who stormed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. She also worked throughout the pandemic.

A wake for Russo will be held at Commack Abbey Inc. in Commack, New York on Monday, Oct. 3 and Tuesday, Oct. 4. The funeral will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 11:00 a.m. at Tilles Center for Performing Arts, located in Brookville, New York.

According to the FDNY, Russo is the 1,158th member of the department to die in the line-of-duty.

Lt. Russo-Elling told the New York Times Russo was “the mother of the station."

“We all know Alison,” Higuleros also told the newspaper. “She made sure everyone was going home safe."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com