SURPRISE, AZ (AZFamille) – Beloved Surprise Fire Department “Paramedic of the Year” Paul Johnson died of cancer this week.

He will be greatly missed, and his impact can be seen on his ambulance, with a “PJ Strong” sticker and mourning group honoring him as a fallen hero.

“We miss him, we love him and we will never forget him,” said firefighter Damian Wallis.

Wallis and all the members of Surprise Fire mourn the loss of one of their own.

Arizona’s family met him at the ceremony in June as he humbly accepted the award.

“Surprised. There’s a lot of great competition. I work with some fantastic, fantastic paramedics,” Johnson said then.

It was just months after the husband and father of three was diagnosed with stage four cancer.

“Not really anything to cry about, but I got a little teary-eyed,” he told Arizona’s family at the ceremony. “Things were going through my head like mortgages and bills and, you know, dealing with my kids who are 11, 9 and 6. You know, we have big news and life is going to change.”

His fellow firefighters and doctors rallied around his family, bringing them meals, taking him to doctor’s appointments and helping with yard work.

“We will not forget. We’re going to be there for them, supporting them for the long term,” Wallis said.

The diagnosis was a shock and his decline was rapid, but those close to Johnson say he always maintained his positive and compassionate attitude.

His friend and colleague, Dan Anderson, says that since Johnson was a civilian paramedic, he is not eligible for presumptive medical coverage as a cancer first responder.

“He sometimes stood in front of fires and inhaled smoke. He was diagnosed with cancer, but unfortunately, because he is a civilian, he is not protected by the same laws,” Anderson said.

Just before he passed away, the Fire Station 301 crew brought him home from the hospital in the same ambulance Johnson used countless times to save others.

“I just remember Paul sitting on the gurney and looking up at the sky, you know, looking up at the blue sky. We all took a little moment together,” Anderson said.

“He says, ‘Hey D, I love you man.’ I said, ‘I love you too, brother,'” Wallis said, remembering their last conversation.

Johnson joined the department in 2018 and his legacy will be lasting.

“This will be a tremendous loss to our department that we will never be able to replace,” Anderson said.

Not only did his wife Bre lose her husband, but the next day she lost her father.

A GoFundMe was created to help Johnson’s family.

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