POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – In a video produced by the Broward Sheriff’s Office in 2020, Captain and flight parademic Terryson Jackson talked about what his job meant to him.
“If someone is in the back of my unit, they are possibly having one of the worst days of their life and it just helps me to sleep better at night knowing that during that time I can be there for them. Sometimes all they need is for me to hold their hands and let them know that they are in good hands and that everything is going to be OK.”
Jackson was killed when a BSO Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services helicopter crashed in Pompano Beach on Monday, Aug. 28. He had just celebrated his 50th birthday on Aug. 2. Two others onboard survived the crash: Pilot Daron Roche, 37, who has been with BSO for four years and firefighter/paramedic Mikael “Mike” Chaguaceda, 31, who has been with BSO for five years.
Jackson, a firefighter and paramedic was a 19-year veteran with the Broward Sheriff’s Office. He began his fire rescue career in March 2004 in Deerfield Beach and joined BSO in October of 2011.
Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Chief Timothy Keffe said during a press conference.
“Captain Jackson typified what it meant to be a brother firefighter. He perished during what he loved.”
(See below: Terryson Jackson in his own words.)
On his LinkedIn page, Jackson posted that he graduated from Broward College with an Association of Arts in Medicine and completed his EMS certification in 2004.
In the BSO video on Facebook in February of 2020 as a tribute to Black History Month, Jackson said he always knew he wanted to be an integral part of the medical field.
“I just wasn’t sure in what capacity. My mom’s a nurse and my dad’s a nurse . . . When I found out that I could be a paramedic and a firefighter . . . it was a done deal. This career chose me,” he said.
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony choked up during a press conference Monday as he spoke about personally knowing Jackson for the past 14 years.
“Terryson was a rock star. He was one of the best of us, one of the brightest. He bled this profession inside and out all day long,” the sheriff said. “There’s almost 6,000 people in this agency. I’m not going to meet everybody and I haven’t, but that man I knew. I knew very well. And the type of effort and commitment he had for this community – impeccable.”
In a memorial to Jackson, Tony stated:
“As a flight paramedic, he impacted the community daily, providing critical patients with the highest pre-hospital care. He consistently showed an unmatched passion for the job. He always provided expert care, compassion and reassurance to those during their most significant time of need.”
Details on services for Jackson have not yet been announced.