A Firefighters Deaths-Illinois (The Secret List)

Hey…

The reason The Secret List exists is to pass along details and facts of interest to you as a Firefighter or EMS member, usually specific to Firefighter Close Calls, Near Misses and Line of Duty Deaths. While the information is of varied levels of interest, the true intent of the 11+ year old Secret List is to "pass along" details ..so we can all learn. We all respond to and see alotta bad stuff, and in some cases, the most horrific situations and outcomes. Sometimes the incident is "by accident" …but other times it is totally avoidable-for us or for those who impact us. Sometimes what we write about to you is so avoidable that it infuriates all of us. We have also written about the impacts of drunks on the fire service-and within the fire service and the impact on us before…here we go again.

2 nights ago in Illinois, a young mother and her two little kids were killed in a t-bone crash Thursday night. The crash took the lives of Amanda Jahn, 27, and her children, Ryan Jahn, 3 years, 11 months old, and Kaitlyn Jahn, 11 1/2 months old….the ENTIRE FAMILY of Dwight (IL) Firefighter Josh Jahn.The driver of the car that struck the Jahn vehicle, Ann Marie Goetz, 43 was transported to the hospital, where she remains a patient….she has already been charged with blowing a stop sign and felony driving while drunk.

"Firefighters Wife" Amanda Jahn was heading home with her kids. Imagine your family doing that. It’s easy-every family does that. Where were they coming from? Amanda was a violinist…she was on her way back from teaching lessons and had stopped at her Mom & Dad’s house to pick up the kids and go home. That’s when "Drunk Driver" Goetz’s car shot through the stop sign and struck the Jahn family on the driver’s side door. Following the violent t-bone crash, the Jahns car rolled over multiple times….Amanda was trapped inside the vehicle…the 2 children, Ryan and Kaitllyn were EJECTED IN AND FROM THEIR CAR SEATS…and Mom WAS WEARING HER SEATBELT…but it couldn’t save them from the drunk driver. The crash actually ripped the Jahn car apart into multiple pieces.

As we have also heard before, Veteran Drunk Driver Goetz has a lengthy criminal record, including prior DUIs dating back to 2000. Most of us are all very familiar with the impacts of a Firefighters death, in this case, this death will all but take the life of Firefighter Josh Jahn.

3 Quick Points:

1-If you are interested in expressing your condolences, the FD sent us FF Josh Jahns e-mail address, which will be checked and passed along to him….so if you wanna send a few words, here ya go.

[email protected]

2-The holiday season is just about here. And while we are always at risk on this job, operate on or off the job extra defensively this time of year because of the drunk drivers.

3-Us. "Us" also are familiar with "us" drinking and driving …mostly off the job, but sometimes even on the job in the firehouse. Don’t ignore it. Don’t allow it. Speak up. Stop it. Know a FF with a problem? Get’m help…do whatever it takes. You into the "Brotherhood" stuff? Cool. Prove it. We aren’t saying don’t have a drink when off duty-we are saying if "us" are ever drinking, we cannot ever drive. And "us" needs to look out for "us". The on-duty issue speaks for itself, hopefully.

The "drinking" issue-internally or externally has impacted Firefighters throughout our entire history…and again most recently, at the above "firefighters deaths" -the preventable deaths of FF Josh Jahns’ Family.

Our sincere condolences to FF Josh Jahn. What a nightmare.

Take Care-THINK.

BillyG

The Secret List 11-8-08 / 0740 hours

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