Austin

 Wednesday I was at home dying from a sinus infection. I felt awful. We had a call that night before and I didnt go. That morning about 520 the pager went off for a car accident. They said there was a car pinned under a semi. I drug myself out of bed for two reasons. #1 there arent many that really are comfortable with extrication . I am one of them who is. Plus when it comes to having to extricate on scene you need all the people you can get. #2 we are normally really short staffed at 530 in the morning because everyone is headed to work. So extrication plus short staff means my conscience will not let me stay in bed no matter how absolutely horrible I feel. Someone is in a bad spot and needs our help. I get to the station and am of course the first one there. Two others show up. We head out to the accident scene. Thankfully we also had enough people show up to roll the engine too. I cant go into many details because of health care laws and all.. but we get on scene and start working the patient and realize its someone we all know. Someone we all know well. Someone we have ran along calls next to. Someone we know is a father, a husband, who has 2 little girls and one on the way. We worked hard on him. Very very hard. For a very long time. He succumbed to his injuries on scene. We were all heartbroken. 

We stayed with him on scene until the medical examiner took him away. You never leave a brother alone. We took care of him after his passing when our 'job' was done. We stayed by his side. We made sure he was honored and treated with respect. 

It was a very very hard day for us all. We knew we had given our all and it wasn't enough. Our hearts were heavy with thoughts of his family.

These are pictures from news articles. 

Austin was a kid I knew since I was young. His dad and my dad were Ogden Fire fighters together, until his dad was taken by brain cancer. He used to come play at our house when he was younger and his dad was fighting. My sisters were good friends with him all through school. I remember watching him grow up. When his dad passed he became the 'man of the family' and he took that role very seriously. He took care of his siblings and mom. He graduated High School, married his beautiful wonderful High School sweetheart. They had two adorable little girls together and have another baby girl due in May. His whole life goal was to be an Ogden City Firefighter like his dad. He had worked hard to achieve that. He ran with Corinne Fire and Brigham Fire. He just recently bought his own business and when his good friend Trooper Eric Ellsworth passed away he decided to go to the police academy in his honor and carry on his legacy. He was killed on his way to the police academy that morning. He was about halfway through it. 

Austin was contagious just to be around. He was SO full of life and animation. He had touretts and when he got super excited he had little ticks he would do. He loved his family deeply. He was a great example to all. As a testament of that his viewing was completely packed. 

Our department was having a hard time with the loss of him. He was one of us even though he never ran on Willard Fire. Many training's and classes we had he was a part of. 

As a department we came together for the family and did a few things. 

We had Nate Eye who does all the signs for fallen officers make two of these for his family.

 We contacted WSU and got permission to have one made with his Academy badge and LEA session

 We also purchased a thin red line flag and took it around to all the local depts, dispatch, and other firefighters and law enforcement that were at his viewing and funeral and had them sign it for the family. The flag is completely full now. This was the first day we had it, probably the first hour lol

We also got together to make a special arrangement for him that was "all Austin"

It was a good healing session. We got together and told stories of him while we assembled it. We cried. We laughed. We were angry. We were sad.

It turned out perfect.

The next day was his viewing (Sunday)

There was over an hour wait outside, in freezing blowing temperatures just to get inside to wait at least another hour. His line filled the chapel in the mortuary and made three loops through the building just to get to his family.

The department (those who could make it) met at the funeral home at 4:30. The viewing was from 5-8. Even though we were early the line had already started. We got in line and went through as a group. We had been in contact with his family after the accident and they wanted to make sure we knew we were welcome. We didnt want to make it awkward. It made us very happy to see they put his arrangement we made with all his 'family' stuff. They had a photographer there (a family friend who offered to take pictures and videos for the family for later)

This is Z (one of our deputies who was there and really good friends with Austin) and Taylor

 Me

 Our group that was able to make it. 

The next morning was the funeral. 

He earned a firefighter funeral. 

We tried to put on our smiles but have all agreed we are sick of having to wear our white shirts this year. No more deaths. And sunglasses are a must. 

 Our job was to meet with Corinne fire and set up our ladder and theirs with the flag. 

Willard Fire

From there we headed to the funeral service. It was PACKED. The entire chapel was full, the gym was full and the stage in the gym was full of people. 

 We were able to stay for most the funeral. Then we headed back to the trucks. The procession was coming past us and we needed to be ready. We blocked off the intersections and waited. 

 We made blue and red ribbons for the engines since he was LE and Fire 

 We also made the shovel holder and set a pair of turnouts out for him to show the missing firefighter. 

 We stood in line, in the freeeeeezzzziiinnnggg cold awful windy blowing weather where Im pretty sure we lost ears and toes to wait to salute when they came past and show our respect. 

 My sister took some pics of them coming since I couldnt exactly.

Ogden Fire was amazing and sent their engine up to carry his body.

They had departments from all over respond and show their respect. It was quite a funeral. As soon as the trucks came past us and headed into the cemetery we put on our coats and beanies and took the trucks in to the graveside. 

They did their services. Last call (which my dad, Todd, Jana and I all wrote) played taps. Played the bag pipes. If you arent a bawling mess by this point you arent human. They folded the flag and delivered it to his widow and girls. 

When the funeral was over we hurried out to go move all our trucks and take down the flag. 

It was a very long weekend but we wouldn't do all that for just anyone

Fly high Austin!