On Sunday, a missing person alert issued by the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office for Andrew English. By Monday night, Dixie County Fire Rescue had reported that English, who was now a battalion chief there, was found deceased. There was no information immediately available about the nature of English’s disappearance, but MCFR said the man was last seen at his home.
Dixie County Fire Rescue officials are now mourning the loss of one of their own, Battalion Chief Andrew English. Outside the Dixie County Emergency Operations Center, the flag is at half staff in memory of English. “Andy was a definite craftsman of the trade. When you thought of a true fireman, you thought of Andy,” shared Dixie County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Mandy Lemmermen.
Dixie County Fire Rescue units along with Alachua, Gilchrist and Dixie County Sheriff’s Deputies escorted Battalion Chief Andrew English back to Dixie County from the medical examiners office in Gainesville. “Not one person could say they didn’t like Andy English everybody loved him,” Lemmermen said. Lemmermen says English loved to teach whether it be students or mentoring other firefighters.
“Played a big part in hundreds and hundreds of lives across a span of over 30 years in the fire service and the impact he brought,” shared Lemmermen.
He completed fire college in 1988. He then worked for fire departments in Levy County, Chiefland and Dixie County. In 1997, English was hired by Marion County Fire Rescue, where he worked for 18 years as a lieutenant. He retired in 2015 but came back to work in Dixie County in 2019. “We respond and deal with the community but when this hits this close to home and it’s one of your own it just affects a whole different set of emotions,” Lemmermen said.
Dixie County Fire Rescue officials say mental health for first responders is key. That’s why members of “Second Alarm Project” have been supporting them since English went missing.
