The Million Dollar Hero

The Million-Dollar Hero
Kevin Tuohy


Hear a short message from Kevin

While the east coast was struggling with the aftermath of an
unimaginable tragedy, a small group of west coast men were
gathering forces to help them. One man helped on a heroic level.
Here is his story.

Like lots of boys who grow up dreaming of becoming a firefighter,
Kevin Tuohy was influenced by his friend’s father. “I watched
what he did and loved it,” Kevin said. In 8th grade Kevin’s
decision was made. He would become a firefighter.

Kevin, former San Clemente firefighter, now stationed at Capo Beach,
has been a firefighter for over 25 years. He responds to 911 calls
every day, but on 9/11/01, Kevin watched the 2nd plane hit the
World Trade Center. Within two days, he and two LA firefighters
devised a plan. They would create wristbands like the old
Vietnam-style POW wristbands to help their brother
firefighters in New York.

“Everybody wanted to do something. When firemen die in a
large quantity anywhere in the world we all feel it,” Kevin said.

They made 3000 wristbands to sell at ten dollars each. “If we
could sell 3000, we’d have $30,000 to take back to those guys.
We mapped out our little plan of attack. We’d give it 30 days.
At the end of 30 days if we had sold them all, great. If we hadn’t,
but were close, we’d stick it out and finish. If we weren’t even close,
at least we gave it a shot.”

But Kevin was thinking too small. A chance event changed everything.

During a nationwide candlelight vigil, America’s Most Wanted was
doing a 2-hour special. During a commercial break, they broke
away to local news and cut to an LA firefighter wearing the wristband.
They put the phone number on TV. “From there it took on a life of
its own. Our project went crazy.” Instead of $30,000, they raised $1.1.million!
That November, Kevin and 33 OC firefighters flew back to present a
million dollar check to the NYFD.
The word of the wristbands spread everywhere.

The chairman of NY’s St. Patrick’s Day parade got Kevin’s number.
“He invited us to march in the parade. We’ve been a permanent
entry ever since. When we go there, we are treated super well by
those guys.” They are one of about a half-dozen fire departments
nationwide with that honor. “I want to be real clear. By no means
was it just me. We asked for help.” Kevin still wears a wristband everyday.

Kevin has deep admiration for NYFD. “They’re the fireman’s firemen.
Every day those guys do things that we do once in awhile,” says Kevin.

“It’s like a second family. We’re together 24 when we work. You know
what mood these guys are in when they wake up. You know what they
look like when they’re having a bad hair day. “Firefighters truly are
guys that can do anything with nothing.” Kevin could not speak
highly enough of his crewmates. ‘They’re self-starters. I’m real
lucky to be with the guys I’m with right now.”

Kevin also fights fires, big fires like the Malibu ’93 fire, at that time
the biggest fire in California history. “It’s rough, dirty, hot, sweaty,
grunt work and it’s going to go on for a long, long time. You know
that going in. If the fire’s got a head of steam, they’ll be fast. You
just hope you’ve situated yourself with the right resources in the
right place to make your stand.” Imagine that kind of heat or the
situations firefighters help with - watching a parent hold a dying
child, or a family’s home burn down. On his “normal” job, by 1:30 pm
Kevin had been on eight 911 calls.

The hardest thing for Kevin with his work? “It’s the kids. I think that’s
true with all the guys. Most of us are pretty well-equipped emotionally
for the job, but if anything is going to get to you, it’s when the
little ones get hurt.”

Recently Kevin got a call involving a two-year old. “The parents had
a hard time getting him to sleep. He’d been cranky and had a headache.
They’d asked to have him checked out at the doctor. Nobody thought
it was any big deal. The child died in his sleep.” Kevin had to watch
what the parents went through, knowing “there was nothing we could do.”

Kevin helped many San Clementeans. “I love San Clemente. It’s a neat,
close-knit city. Find a way to get me back in that fire station.”

“The only thing I would’ve rather done in life is play pro hockey,”
Kevin said. ‘The only thing that stopped me from playing pro
hockey was a real serious lack of talent.”

Kevin helps people every day, solving serious problems, saving lives.
He may even save yours in the future. Let us salute and be grateful
for this hero and the countless others like him.

This man found a way to help take a bit of the sting out of an
unprecedented event. In less than two months, a million dollars
was raised. Men like Kevin make the impossible, possible.
They are truly heroes.

Live like a hero!

Terri Marie

Terri Marie is the author of “Be the Hero of Your Own Game.”
For past articles visit heroesamongus.blogspot.com.
For a free “year of cheer” send a blank email to yearofcheer@aweber.com

Life Lessons from Kevin:

• It doesn’t matter if you make the big party. Make the goal

Originally Kevin was asked to present the million-dollar check
to the NYFD at a memorial ceremony at Madison Square Garden.
The event had to be postponed, but Kevin didn’t reschedule
their donation. “We were never doing it for a ceremony. We
wanted to get them the money. We went back anyway.”
Kevin focused on the goal. Get the firemen the money.

• Every call is different

One thing Kevin loves about his job is that no 911 call is the same.
“I hate monotony. This is a job where you don’t have any. You can
go into a hundred car accidents, a hundred heart attacks,
a hundred fires. Each one is completely different.”

• Find and organize large resources

Kevin used the huge network of fire stations throughout OC
to coordinate a fast, furious effort - like a fire. Stations were
set up in every battalion to locate the nearest station to get wristbands.

• Look ahead and plan your attack

“In a fire, we look at the weather, the terrain and try to make a
realistic decision. How far ahead do we need to get to stop the fire?
The worse the conditions are, the farther ahead we have to get to stop it.”

• Let things go

“You have to be able to talk about difficult situations and let them go.
If you carry them with you, they eat at you. It’s a stressful job but
if you let it out, joke with the guys, it’s over with. You do your job
and realize there are some situations that no matter what you did,
you weren’t going to make them better.”

• Integrity

“If you don’t have integrity the other guys won’t tolerate it,”
Kevin says. “You could put a half-gallon of ice cream in the
freezer and it might be gone the next day, but you can leave
a hundred dollar bill sitting on your bed and it’ll still be there,” Kevin says.

• Love your job

“We do it because we love it. It’s a job you couldn’t do, if you
didn’t love doing it. I look at the guys I work with and consider
them heroes. But I would never think that of myself. I promise
you they’d be exactly the same. Every one of them would say,
‘I’m not a hero. I’m a guy doing my job.”

EXTRA FIRE SAFETY

Outdoors

With fire season upon us, Kevin says, “If you’re going to be anywhere
where a fire can start, the best thing you can do is have escape routes
and safety zones. Just like being in a hotel, know where the exits are.
Know where the fire roads and firebreaks are and the quickest way to
get to them. Listen to every warning. You’re going to be much happier
if you evacuate and go back later and nothing burned, than if you decide
to roll the dice and stay there and it does come at you.’

When asked for some practical advice for dealing with brush fires.
Kevin said. “Don’t be there. Avoid dry areas. Approaching flames are
like a roaring train,” He pointed to a big yellow sign, which said, ‘Keep out.’
“People violate them all the time but you absolutely shouldn’t be there.
It can be the silliest things that can start a fire.”

At Home

“Around the home, turn off the stove. Don’t ever leave the house with
food cooking. We go on more ‘food-on-the-stove’ fires. The food burns,
fills the house with smoke, and sometimes starts the house on fire.”

Tim Forrester also gave advice “Make sure your house is safe. Periodically
check your gas connections, making sure there’s no gas leaks.
Tim thinks about 60-70% of fires are preventable.”