A hero EMT with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), who was a first responder during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, died after she was stabbed approximately 19 times in the line of duty on Thursday.
FDNY Emergency Medical Service Lieutenant Alison Russo-Elling, 61, was killed on Sept. 29 just after 2 p.m. while working out of EMS Station 49 in Queens, a FDNY press release stated. Lt. Russo-Elling was on duty near 20th Avenue and Steinway Street in Astoria near the station’s headquarters when, without provocation, she was assaulted and stabbed multiple times.
Officials said she was transported in critical condition to Mt. Sinai Queens Hospital where she later died from her injuries. Fox News reported that the 9/11 hero was stabbed 19 times.
“Today, we lost one of our heroes, Allison Russo-Elling, a 25-year veteran of the Fire Department who was stabbed in an unprovoked attack,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “Our hearts are with her family, her fellow EMS members, and with all New Yorkers who lost a truly amazing woman to a senseless act of violence. The City of New York will remember Lt. Russo-Elling’s bravery and commitment to service as we mourn her loss along with the FDNY.”
Russo-Elling joined the FDNY as an EMT in 1998. She was eventually promoted to paramedic and then lieutenant, working at several EMS stations throughout the city. Russo-Elling also served as a rescue paramedic and had “elite training for performing pre-hospital emergency medical care in dangerous and unusual environments.”
“Members of EMS serve only to save the lives of others. To be attacked while doing that noble work is heartbreaking and enraging for our entire Department,” Acting Commissioner Kavanagh said in a statement. “Lt. Russo-Elling exemplified FDNY EMS. She was a beloved veteran of the FDNY who served with honor and distinction for more than two decades. We stand together with her family and her colleagues in mourning during this incredibly painful time.”
According to the FDNY, Lt. Russo-Elling is the 1,158th member of the department to make the Supreme Sacrifice; that is, to die in the line of duty.
Crime in New York City continues to spiral out of control. Last month, a man was arrested after getting into an altercation at a New York City McDonald’s in which he struck multiple people with his hands and used a hatchet to smash glass and tables in the restaurant. The incident was captured on video that amassed tens of millions of views.
