Widow of Mo. firefighter/paramedic who died in training receives $1M settlement

By Mike Hendricks
The Kansas City Star

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The wife of the Kansas City Fire Department paramedic who died during a training exercise last year has been awarded just under $1.1 million to resolve a workers’ compensation claim filed against the city.

The City Council approved the award to Rebecca Ann Brinker without comment near the end of Thursday’s regular meeting. Her husband, 33-year-old Kyle Brinker, died after suffering an undisclosed medical emergency during a fire department training event on Sept. 17, 2024.

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Personnel at the scene gave him medical care before he was rushed to North Kansas City Hospital. Staff were unable to revive him.

Brinker was an 11-year member of the department and was a firefighter-paramedic. He grew up in Pennsylvania and attended Coastal Carolina University to study marine science before taking up fire science at the Community College of Allegheny County. He later studied emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh after earning his certification as a paramedic in 2012.

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