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Fallen Brother: Gerard Marcheterre

BORODINO, NY — A Borodino volunteer firefighter died Saturday evening after complaining of trouble breathing while responding to a barn collapse in the town of Spafford.

Gerard Marcheterre, 50, was riding in a rescue pumper truck en route to the collapse when his breathing became labored, said his brother, Second Assistant Fire Chief Joseph Marcheterre. A SAVES ambulance met the tanker at the Spafford Fire Department on Route 41, but his condition had already deteriorated.

Gerard Marcheterre was taken to Cortland Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

One of seven children, Marcheterre suffered from mental illness after his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck at birth, his brother said. He earned his diploma from West Genesee High School, and held a number of jobs. He joined the fire department more than a decade ago.

“He knew the rescue trucks inside and out,” Joseph Marcheterre said. “Being in the line of duty and so sudden, it hit (the firefighters) hard. He had his medical problems (with diabetes) but he was also active. It was a wakeup to us that we need to treat our bodies better.”

Marcheterre’s cause of death has not been determined. His brother, Frank Marcheterre Jr. is Borodino fire chief.

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