By Noah Crenshaw | Daily Journal
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First responders are grappling with the sudden death of a beloved colleague.
Kyle Martincic, a career paramedic at the White River Township Fire Department, suffered a medical emergency while on duty during a routine training session on Monday. He received immediate emergency medical care from his fellow paramedics, firefighters and EMTs who were also attending the training, according to a fire department news release.
Martincic, 34, was taken to IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis where he died. His passing is the first line-of-duty death in the department’s history.
He joined the department in 2019, and was stationed at Station No. 51. He also served as a paramedic with the Bargersville Community Fire Department and IU Health Bloomington EMS.
The department lost a member of its family. Martincic was someone you would want to care for your family, said Jeremy Pell, White River Township’s fire chief.
“If you can picture a paramedic who you would want to show up to help your spouse, family and kids — Kyle was it,” Pell said. “He was a genuine, excellent paramedic. He loved his God, his family and to serve people in EMS. (There was) no doubt that whoever he responded to would get top-notch care.”
Finding out about Martincic’s death was a kick in the gut to first responders at the Bargersville fire department, said Mike Pruitt, Bargersville’s deputy chief.
“He had empathy, compassion, everything that you want. He was an intelligent paramedic,” Pruitt said.
Martincic had worked as a part-time paramedic at the department since December. He fit in immediately, he said.
He had a good work ethic in a line of work that is not easy to be in, all while working for three departments, Pruitt said.
“No matter how many runs he’d completed a day, he would go on and continue to do more runs,” he said.
Martincic is survived by his wife, Angela, and two children. Both departments are helping Johnson County Professional Firefighters Local 4252, a local firefighters union, organize fundraising efforts for his family. Financial donations, including gift cards, are encouraged.
Those who want to donate to Martincic’s family can drop off items at White River Township Fire Department’s headquarters, 366 North Morgantown Road, Greenwood, or at the Bargersville Fire Department, 3991 North State Road 135, Franklin, and the departments will get them to the family. People can also send flowers and gifts to the family at www.allencares.com/obituaries/Kyle-Martincic/.
Martincic’s funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday at Allen Funeral Home and Crematory, 4155 S. Old State Road 37, Bloomington. Visitation will be from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home, and again from 11 a.m. until the time of service on Monday.
