David J. Clapp‚ age 24 died October 4‚ 1986 from injuries he sustained following a motor vehicle accident. David was responding to a call at the time of the accident. It was a stormy day with heavy rainfall which caused numerous fire calls. Leaving work from National Ambulance‚ David was driving to the fire house to help with the calls. While traveling down the dug-way hill‚ David hit a patch of standing water and hydroplaned into the path of another car. He was trapped for approximately 25 minutes. His brothers and sisters of West Webster had the difficult job of extricating him from the vehicle and performed CPR while enroute to the hospital. David’s sister‚ Barb‚ a member of the department also responded to the accident. David had been in a coma for a week when the doctors made the determination that he was brain dead and life support was stopped. Even in death‚ David continued to help people through his organs donations. His heart saved a 46 year old father of two young children. Two people benefited from kidney transplants and his eye tissue restored vision and benefited research science.

David was born May 2‚ 1962 in Webster‚ NY. He graduated from R.L. Thomas High School in 1980 and went on to SUNY Canton for Hotel Management. It was a two-year program‚ but David had so much fun he went for three years. While at Canton‚ he found his true passion‚ being an EMT. He received his EMT certification while at Canton and ran calls for the school. David joined West Webster Fire Department in January of 1984. He originally joined to run ambulance calls but soon found out he also enjoyed the fire side. David also volunteered with Irondequoit Volunteer Ambulance.

David loved to help people. He would often check in on his patients at the hospital when he was there for other calls or even at their home later. David was involved in an ice water rescue on Irondequoit Bay which saved some snow mobile operators. David enjoyed spending much of his free time at the Fire House.

He is still missed today.