Brother of slain EMT Yadira Arroyo joins FDNY EMS

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Joel Rosado, the brother of murdered EMT Yadira Arroyo is keeping his sister’s legacy in the FDNY alive. 

Rosado graduated from the FDNY EMS academy on Thursday and will not only work at the same station that his sister did, but will also wear her badge number.

“If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here,” Rosado said. “I don’t even know where I would be right now.”

“Just knowing that Joey is now going to be joining us, not just on the job but also as a member of Station 26, it’s just awesome to us,” said Chaz Perry, a Paramedic at Station 26 in the Bronx.

Arroyo, a 44-year-old mother of five had been with the FDNY for over a decade when she was killed in 2017 by a career criminal who stole her ambulance and ran her down in the Soundview section of the Bronx. 

“Joel’s sister is a true hero in our department,” said FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro. “She always will be and it was such exciting news to know that he was joining us and following in her footsteps.”