New York City Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta has announced the death of Ulyses Grant, 50, chief of the Emergency Medical Services Division of the Fire Department of New York. Grant died Jan. 29, after a long battle with cancer.

A 30-year veteran of FDNY EMS, Grant began his career in emergency services in 1974 as a mortuary technician with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. In 1979 Grant transferred to the EMS Division where he worked as a motor vehicle operator.

In the years that followed, he rose through the ranks in the City's EMS system, first as an EMT and then as a lieutenant. As a lieutenant, Grant served in the Inspectional Services Unit where he was responsible for conducting confidential investigations regarding patient care violations and ensuring proper ambulance operations in New York City. He eventually went on to serve as that division's commanding officer after being promoted to captain in 1987. In 1989 Grant was transferred to the EMS Station at Kings County Hospital were he served as the Commanding Officer until being promoted to Chief in 1991 and serving as the EMS Brooklyn Borough Commander.

In 1996 after the merger of EMS into the fire department and a restructuring of EMS, Grant was promoted to EMS Division Chief and reassigned to the Borough of Staten Island. As the chief of the newly created 5th Division he was responsible for all EMS operations within the Borough of Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn.

A lifelong resident of Queens, Grant graduated John Adams High School and attended Queens College. He is survived by his wife Vanessa and their two grown children, Sean and Jeannine. Chief Grant was laid to rest Feb. 5.