Fire & EMS Leader Pro The job of old firefighters is to teach young firefighters how to become old firefighters!
Dear Readers,
Lieutenant Frank Vento, Seminole (FL) Fire Rescue Department Seminole, FL
I pains me to inform you that Lieutenant Frank Vento, of the Seminole (FL) Fire Rescue Department, and author of a piece for this blog, has succumbed to the cancer that was only recently discovered. I received this e-mail message from one his colleagues yesterday:
Chief Avsec,
I wanted to pass along some very sad news about an individual you know, Lt. Frank Vento. Frank unexpectedly died on February 3, 2014. Please see:
http://memorialpark.tributes.com/our_obituaries/Frank-Joshua-Vento-99218123
February 2014 was to be his 25th year of dedicated service to the citizens and visitors to the City of Seminole.
Respectfully,
Lieutenant/Paramedic David Hudak, City of Seminole Fire Rescue, Retired
I met Frank through LinkedIn and when he responded to my welcoming message he shared his recent diagnosis. The reason he did that, he said, was that he’d been impressed with the fortitude and courage displayed by Robin Lawson when she “penned” a four-part series for this space about her own struggles against breast cancer.
A couple of weeks later, I had the opportunity to talk with Frank by telephone and I asked him if he’s be interested in doing some guest blogs for me that would chronicle his journey through the treatment for his cancer. Frank enthusiastically accepted my offer because he said it was important that today’s firefighters know and understand the long-term risks associated from their daily exposures to “who knows what” in the course of doing their jobs.
I was impressed with Frank’s dedication and passion for the fire service and the future of today’s firefighters. Though we only had that one phone conversation, I felt like I’d found a kindred spirit who shared my passion for firefighter safety, health, and wellness.
As much as I was saddened to learn of Frank’s death, I was even more sad at the fact that he never got the chance to share that passion and his perspectives on his cancer treatments with his brother and sister firefighters. I’m sure that they would have come to know and love the man that was Lieutenant Frank Vento.
May you Rest in Peace, Lieutenant…
