LIBERTY, Mo. (KCTV) — On Wednesday, Kansas City first responders, family, and friends gathered to honor the life of fallen firefighter and paramedic Kyle Brinker.

died last Tuesday after suffering a medical emergency during a training exercise.

On Wednesday, his visitation, celebration of life, and procession all honored his service and life .

Brinker worked for the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department for 11 years.

He moved here from Pennsylvania to serve with KCFD.

He started with Station 7 for the first few years and then moved to Station 35 as a firefighter and paramedic.

Most recently, he had moved to Rescue 9 with Station 35.

“It’s a tough loss for our department,” said KCFD Public Information Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

They’ve been offering counseling and other mental health resources to the firefighters who worked alongside Brinker.

“You know, they are staying strong. But they are obviously heartbroken,” Hopkins said of Brinker’s fellow firefighters. “He was a coworker and a friend, somebody they worked with every day. Unfortunately, when he passed, they were actually there on the scene and they were the ones who were working that incident. So that is very traumatic for you.”

Brinker was known for his bright spirit and being a hard worker. KCFD estimated that he responded to over 20,000 calls during his career in Kansas City.

“Around the firehouse, he was always in good humor and smiling and laughing,” Hopkins said. “That is hard to do sometimes at Station 35 because it is one of the busiest stations in the city. The ambulance he worked on regularly runs between 6-7,000 calls a year. That puts a lot on you, so to still have a smile on your face and be willing to get in there and get after it just speaks to his personality and how much he loved this job.”

He was taken under an American flag while riding on Pumper 35. The procession went to different stations Brinker worked at, including Station 35.

He eventually made his way to Gladstone.

In the spring, the fire department plans to honor Brinker by placing his name on the Kansas City Firefighters Memorial. There are also plans to hang his picture and plaque in Station 35 to keep his memory alive.