COLUMBUS, Ind. — The close-knit communities of firefighters and paramedic/EMTs in Columbus are remembering Scott Gordon as an instructor beyond compare and a health care provider who put the care in caregiving.
Gordon, 56, who was “working a truck” as first responders describe working on an Columbus Regional Health ambulance, died Nov. 15 at Columbus Regional Hospital after an eight-day battle with COVID-19.
A drive-thru memorial service is being planned from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Columbus Municipal Airport, near the Cummins hangar. The Columbus Police Department and Columbus Fire Department Honor Guard will be at the memorial.
An EMT and a paramedic, Gordon is believed to have been exposed to the virus after his partner on the ambulance also became infected. He is the first CRH employee who has died from COVID-19, hospital officials said.
Hospital officials said Gordon, who had led the ambulance service’s training department for decades, was tragic.
“He’d been with CRH for almost 20 years, and just was very highly respected by his peers. He was a leader in his department and ambulance services, did a lot of training and a lot of onboarding with paramedics and EMTs. Nobody had a bad thing to say about him. He just is really, really well liked and well known in our organization and is going to be dearly missed,” said Kelsey DeClue, hospital spokeswoman.
Many Columbus firefighters who have been “on the job” for years knew Gordon well, because he was their training officer for certifications for EMT and paramedic certifications.
Those who were trained by Gordon knew he placed a lot of emphasis as a first responder as performing the job as a “craft,” said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman. “His approach to teaching was that you would live and walk the walk,” Wilson said. “You had to be booksmart but you had to also have the compassion — he taught you to put the care in ‘care provider,’ ” Wilson said.
For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.
