Family: Wife- Karen, two daughters and five grandchildren
Why I'm in Rotary:
I joined the Rotary because I enjoy helping others. I spent almost 40 years helping others while being a firefighter/paramedic. Even though I was getting paid to be a firefighter, I would of done it for free if I was financially able to. But having to retire because of a neck injury I feel a need to try to continue helping others, a need to give back to the community.
Passions, hobbies, interests:
I love being around my grandchildren ranging 3 months to six years old. They keep me going although I’m physically limited, they are my therapy. I also love woodworking, that too has it’s physical limitations.
What I'm really good at:
Entertaining my grandchildren, I love to make them laugh and I love to help them learn.
One goal I’d like to accomplish during my lifetime:
I would like to achieve my Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Technology. I have 99% of the requirements, I just need to sit down and do the rest. Its just on the back burner right now.
Tell us about your favorite place to vacation/visit:
I love the High Sierras. My parents used to take us there and we would camp in tents, go fishing at Rock Creek and enjoy hikes from Bishop to Mammoth Lakes. Now I take my wife, daughters and their families and they enjoy the outdoors just as much as I do. In fact, my youngest daughter just got married at Convict Lake in October.
On my bucket list:
I would like to obtain a pilot’s license. I used to fly with my friends and what a great feeling it is to be flying in a small plane on a beautiful day. I would love to take my wife out to lunch or dinner on a date via airplane ride.
Most embarrassing moment:
While on my first trauma call as a first responder, I was the patient man on an ambulance. My partner and I responded to a motorcycle over the ridge. When we arrived with the fire department and police crews, we found a lone victim of this incident. He was unconscious and unresponsive. He had a severe cut to his head and other lacerations and contusions throughout, he also was missing his left arm. It was late at night and very dark as we were bandaging him up with the light from flashlights. I felt proud of myself as I bandaged his stump the way I was taught in school. The fire and police crews continued to look for the severed arm as we transported the patient to the hospital with lights and sirens blaring away. When we arrived at Simi Adventist ER, the doctor and nurses were ready to attend to our patient’s needs. As the hospital staff started to assess to patient, my partner and I told the doctor that the crews were out at the accident site looking for the limb. The doctor started at the head and was working his way down to the feet, but when he was assessing the stump and removing the blood-soaked bandages he noticed that there was scar tissue in the area where the arm would attach. At that same time the fire crew of station #45 arrived into the ER and approached the doctor and me and stated that the patient was a passenger on the motorcycle and the friend who was operating the motorcycle was found nearby at his house, he was intoxicated. He told 45’s that his friend lost his arm years ago in another accident. Both the crew of 45’s and the doctor looked at me and there I was, embarrassed more than ever.