Storm spotter among the newton county fatalities.

[Zac Flamig]

I absolutely agree with you Joel!

Has anyone heard if there has been a fund started to support this hero's fiance and kids? I'm not sure if this sort of thing is acceptable for the public safety world, but I'd surely donate.

 

[Von Castor]

Zac, I will have my wife find out tomorrow am and post something asap. If no one has started a fund, maybe we should. Surely there is no more noble cause than laying down your life so that others may live!

 

[J Holder]

I know a guy who lives in KC MO who is part of the IAFF honor guard who attends line of duty deaths. I'll contact him if you want re: a memorial fund.

This is the second death from this storm that involved someone changing a flat tire ahead of an oncoming tornado.

With the group that I spot for (Alpha-One ARES covering Shawnee-Wabaunsee counties in Kansas) we not only have the basic spotter classes every year, but also advanced spotter classes held for our group after the basic classes. It also helps that the NWS TOP WCM is a ham as well. This group is a pretty seasoned group with some of us having been spotters for 20+ years. Our net control is called directly from SHawnee County 911 and another station inside NWS TOP with both stations having radar right in front of them.

 

[Shane Adams]

My question is, if he was able to warn these folks and they made it to safety, why didn't he join them? I'm trying to imagine where a group of people standing outside in yards and a guy changing a flat could make it to in time but the guy standing next to them warning them could not. I guess I just don't understand why he didn't run with them instead of going back to his vehicle.

 

[jason kissam]

if a memorial fund isnt set up usually you can send something to the fire dept directly with mention it is for his family.

its a tough job being a firefighter but it is the most rewarding. rest in peace brother.

 

[Danny Neal]

if a memorial fund isnt set up usually you can send something to the fire dept directly with mention it is for his family.

its a tough job being a firefighter but it is the most rewarding. rest in peace brother.

Yes, exactly. I just finished my Firefighter 1 and 2 and now going for the EMT, it is a lot of work just in that field.....what Tyler did give his life for others that wasn't directly involved with the fire service. To him I bet it didn't matter whether it's running into a 5,000 degree building to save a child, crossing a flood swollen creek to save a mother, or putting himself in front of a mile wide EF-4 to save lives of perfect strangers. Its honorable and extremely heart-warming to know that there ARE people out there who go above and beyond what is asked of them. His two year old(or was it month), well whatever, should know and realize what a hero her daddy was.

I would guess that once the tornado warning was issued for Newton County, an all call would go out to all public safety officials putting them on alert. I know in IL that ISP usually dispatch the districts involved in this warning, putting all their officers on alert. Newton county is adjacent to Joplin so I don't think they would be *too* far out, and given that the area has seen its fair share of severe weather since at LEAST 2003 I would only assume it is an SOP (standard operating procedure).

I would be interested in hearing from the EM(if there was one). Are they in radio contact? Did he go out on his own/for the community?


I agree with Shane's last post as well. Perhaps the storm motion really caught him off guard. Maybe the tornado trapped him on the E-W road where there was no where to run? Perhaps he tried to beat it a couple blocks where he could get to safety? None of that really matters anymore, but it would be nice to know.

Bottom line is the fire service, his fiancee, his daughter, his friends, and the world, really lost a true hero and it should be recognized.

Rest in peace brother.

 

[jason kissam]

what Tyler did give his life for others that wasn't directly involved with the fire service.

I would be interested in hearing from the EM(if there was one). Are they in radio contact? Did he go out on his own/for the community?

in the post that joey put out #11 it said he was dispatched to that area. i lived in Mo for 7 yrs and the FD would post around our county and town if there was a severe storm coming in. they would get toned out mentioning "all fd weather spotters please report to your designated locations for a severe weather event"

either way its a sad loss and a wake up call that the storm doesnt care if we have 30 yrs training or just 30 days.

 

[Joey Ketcham]

SENECA, Mo. — Tyler Casey, 21, did not survive his heroism.

The Seneca Area Fire Protection District volunteer firefighter died at 2 p.m. Monday of injuries he suffered while trying to warn Newton County residents of the tornado he saw coming right for them.

Casey was storm-spotting Saturday at Missouri Highway 43 and Iris Road in Newton County, according to Andy Nimmo, Redings Mill fire chief and spokesman for the Seneca Area Fire Protection District in this matter.

As the storm worsened, Nimmo said, Casey was officially dispatched to watch for tornadoes. When he saw the tornado coming, Casey warned at least three people to seek shelter — someone changing a tire along the side of the road and two people in a nearby home. Nimmo said all three of those people escaped unharmed, but Casey never got out of the area before the storm hit.

Casey was taken to Freeman Hospital West in Joplin and was put on life support Saturday.

Nimmo said that when Casey saw the tornado coming, he made a decision to risk his own life for others. He could have gotten out of the storm’s path and lived, but instead, Nimmo said, he did what every great firefighter would: He spent those extra minutes trying to save someone else’s life.
“I don’t even know how to describe what he did. It goes beyond a hero,” Nimmo said. “He gave his life to help other people.”

The intersection of Highway 43 and Iris Road was still busy Monday, but it was with emergency vehicles and backhoes, rather than brides-to-be looking for wedding dresses or farmers buying feed at the corner shops that were destroyed during the storm.

That corner now is twisted lumber and mangled vehicles. Hundred-year-old trees were uprooted, crushing cars and homes in their paths.
Casey has a 2-year-old daughter, and his fiancee is expecting a child, Nimmo said.

Casey had been a volunteer firefighter with the Seneca Area Fire Protection District for the past three years. Nimmo said there are about 20 other volunteer firefighters with the district. Casey also worked at Carlin Machine Shop in Seneca.

Nimmo said Casey is considered to have died in the line of duty.
Gov. Matt Blunt, who was in Newton County on Monday, ordered flags at all state buildings in Newton, Jasper and Barry counties to be flown at half-staff until dusk the day of Casey’s funeral. Funeral arrangements are pending.

‘But we do’

“I’ve already had people saying that (Tyler Casey) shouldn’t have been out there, but I say (firefighters) shouldn’t run into burning buildings either, but we do. What we try to do is help other people. (Casey) did his job.”
— Andy Nimmo, Redings Mill fire chief

 

[Bryce Stone]

When a law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty, other officers will sometimes show up by the hundreds to attend the funeral and show support for the family. When a OHP trooper was killed a couple of years ago, there were 400+ troopers who came to the funeral, in addition to many other LE agencies that sent officers. It would be nice if the storm chasing/spotting community were able to do the same for Tyler. Is anyone else interested? Does anyone know when and where the funeral will be? I can't seem to find much information about it.

As far as getting out of the way, this tornado at times had a mile-wide path, was rain-wrapped, and was travelling very quickly. I can see how it would be easy to be caught in the path.

 

[Mikey Gribble]

Mike Weiss asked me to post this for him...

For all interested, Please go to the Seneca FD Website and sign the guestbook for Mr. Casey's family. It may not mean much now, but to his family, children, and friends they can go back later in life and be reminded of the soon to be husband, father, friend, and hero that blessed their life. He is a hero, by his actions, and by his service to his community.

www.safpd.org

Thanks from a fellow chaser.

 

[M Potter]

http://safpd.org/
Full Name: KYLE HINZ
Title: LT. AND HIS FATHER
Organization: SAFPD
City: SENECA
Zip Code:
Country: NEWTON COUNTY, USA
Email:
URL:

Comments:

YOU MEANT THE WORLD TO ME, AND WHEN YOU ASK TO FOLLOW IN MY FOOT STEPS I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE HONORED. YOUR MOTHER AND I WERE SO PROUD OF YOU. YOU ALWAYS STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE WHEN NEEDED .I WILL MISS YOU MORE THEN ANY ONE WILL EVER KNOW, I LOVE YOU SON.

Visitations Friday 5/16/2008 6-8PM. Location to be posted.

Funeral to be held Saturday 5/17/2008 2PM @ Racine Christian Church

This is the info I found on the funeral for ou fallen Brother

 

[M Potter]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONCERN FOR TYLER'S FAMILY IN THERE TIME OF LOSS.
THERE WILL BE A FUND SET UP SOON AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW ABOUT IT.

In CHRIST;

Chaplain Rich Jeffers
Seneca Area Fire Protection Dist.
Seneca, Mo.

As soon as I hear back from him I will post the info. Thanks

 

[Von Castor]

Here is the memorial fund info:
Tyler Casey Memorial Fund
Campbell-Biddlecome Funeral Home
PO Box 380
Seneca MO 64865
Funeral is scheduled for 2 pm Saturday at the Rasine Christian Church which is between Seneca and Neosho.

 

[George Tincher]

As a firefighter myself, I am deeply moved and saddened by this situation. As such, I would like to thank everyone who has posted a description of events and the contact information for his fire department. I dropped by and signed their guest book and left a message for his fellow firefighters and his family.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Weatherstock Inc. and NASCAS has forwarded a check to the memorial fund. I encourage others to do the same.

W.