Friday, January 4, 2013
The experts say that the headline grabs the reader - so
hopefully this one worked. It's a tough headline: "Fire Chief
Mobbed After The Loss of His Daughter"--but it's a fact.
One of our mutual aid Chiefs is a man named Andy Mitten. He
is the Chief of Harlan Township Fire & EMS in Warren County, Ohio-a suburb
of Cincinnati. And while we don't run alot of calls together, there are some
areas where both our departments are due on runs. So we catchup from time to
time. Andy grew up in Pennsylvania (State College and Towanda) and followed the
footsteps of his Dad and Uncle, also Firefighters. Like so many of you, he LOVES
being a Dad, Husband and Firefighter ...and being a Firefighter pretty much
defines who Andy is. But Andy was "Mobbed" this week.
Read on.
I have had the real pleasure to have Andy as a friend since
the early 90's and he is definitely one of a kind. A very low key, unassuming
man who gets so much done with so little fanfare-he defines living leadership.
He is extremely active and has helped grow and lead a phenomenal, highly
respected busy rural volunteer fire and rescue company-as he was a charter
member back in 1976. He was one of the first ever Ohio EMT's and helped his
department grow from one station with a used pumper, to a fleet of 15 fire and
EMS vehicles in 2 stations professionally staffed by 50 volunteers. We've been
on some serious runs together, but none like the one he turned out for in 1991.
As Firefighter and EMT's, turning out and responding to what ends up being a
call for a member of your family, is about as tough as it gets. The
worst day.
This is about Fire Chief Andy Mitten's worst day. His
daughter Dee Dee was killed in a car crash in 1991 that he-and his daughter
Melissa (then an EMT with the HTFD) both responded to-and arrived first due.
When they did, they discovered his daughter Dee Dee was the victim. Her life
could not be saved. But through just a few moments he and his wife had to make
a decision later at the hospital, other lives were saved as Dee Dee now helped
others as an organ and tissue donor. Dee Dee's sister, Melissa, was so
motivated and impacted, that she became a nurse and later started working for
LifeCenter Organ Donor Network, http://lifepassiton.org following her sisters tragic death.
She is now the Director of Organ Operations, and her sister's donation is what
inspired her to start a career in organ donation.
As time has gone on, Andy has continued his role as the Fire
Chief in Harlan Township, President of the Warren County Chiefs, a Risk Manager
for the Kroger Corporation as well as the Safety Director at Kings Island
Amusement Park---along with many other related roles as well as a Dad, husband
and friend, always with his daughter Dee Dee in his heart and mind.
HERE
are links to the show-so you can watch the entire episode (open the link) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/03/mobbed-fire-chief-daughter-organ-video_n_2399932.html(AN EXCELLENT PREVIEW) http://www.fox.com/mobbed/full-episodes/13391939938/you-saved-my-life
(LINK-see below**) http://donation.best1.eu/local-fire-chief-featured-on-foxs-mobbed-on-wednesday/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEivHdxJD9E
PLEASE
take a few minutes and check out these links-and give serious thought to saving
more lives: LIFE CENTER ORGAN DONOR NETWORK:http://lifepassiton.org NATIONAL NETWORK OF ORGAN DONORS:http://www.thenationalnetworkoforgandonors.org/
