A longtime Frontenac County paramedic has died of ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Dale Hodgins was diagnosed with the disease in late 2018.
According to a Twitter post by paramedic Chief Gale Chevalier, Hodgins died Tuesday.
Chevalier said Hodgins “faced his disease with courage and dignity,” adding: “He will be greatly missed.”
Hodgins was Frontenac County’s longest-serving paramedic, with over 40 years of service, and was recognized for that service in May 2019, when he was presented the Governor General Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Services Medal 2nd Bar — the highest honour for paramedics in Canada.
During Hodgins’ long tenure, he saved many lives. In one instance, Hodgins and another paramedic pulled a man to safety after he crashed a car into a home, cutting a major gas line — for that, he won a medal of bravery.
Hodgins was also a volunteer member of the Kingston Fire and Rescue team.
Local paramedics were planning a fundraising walk for ALS this Saturday, with the route taking them past Hodgins’ home.
A spokesperson for Frontenac County says those plans will likely change now, but he was unsure how.
Arrangements for Hodgins’ funeral have not been made yet.
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