Salt River EMT, Globe firefighter laid to rest following crash while responding to 911 call

A funeral service was held for Salt River EMT and Globe Firefighter Brendan Bessee after being killed in a crash on April 8 while responding to an emergency call.

People across Arizona came out to celebrate his life and pay their respects.

Several first responder agencies came together to celebrate the life of the fallen firefighter.

Fire Marshal Dustin Zamboni of the Salt River Fire Department was a coworker of Bessee after the 24-year-old joined the department in January working as a firefighter and EMT.

"He worked for us for four months, a lot of that was in operations and that's a different division than fire prevention," Zamboni said.

Bessee's partner, Tyler Packer, is still in the hospital in critical condition.

"The reality is we work in very difficult and hazardous situations and a lot of times it's hard for anyone to relate to that other than those inside the industry," Zamboni said.

Hundreds attended Saturday morning's funeral service, including members from at least a dozen agencies across Arizona. Locals from Globe, Miami and other neighboring towns also paid their respects.

"When the community comes out and shows support, they may not realize it, but that does mean a lot to us because we love our communities, and we do accept the risk to put our lives on the line for our communities," Zamboni said.