PAW PAW, Mich. — Beloved volunteer firefighter Lt. Ethan Quillen died in the line of duty while helping the community get through the ice storm in late February.
READ MORE: Paw Paw firefighter killed after incident with downed power line identified
Van Buren County Sheriff Dan Abbott said he remembered meeting and running into Lt. Quillen at different events and incidents in the area. And, after talking with those who knew him best, he said Quillen was "just a genuine young man."
“Great father, great husband, great son, it was just a tragic loss all the way around. If you can take an individual,” Sheriff Abbott said before taking a long pause with tears filling his eyes. “Sorry, give me a second. If you can take an individual and want him modeled, he’d be like Ethan.”
Immediately following the tragedy, Sheriff Abbott and others have been rallying around and showing support to Lt. Quillen’s family and colleagues. He dispatched the county’s CISM team, or Critical Incident Stress Management team, to be by their side as well.
Van Buren County Sheriff Dan Abbott says Lt Ethan Quillen was “just a genuine man.”
— Lauren Edwards (@LaurenEdwardsTV) March 2, 2023
The volunteer fireman died in the line of duty, helping others get thru the ice storm in late Feb.
Sheriff says Quillens name will soon be placed on this memorial near the dept. // @FOX17 pic.twitter.com/OcPkVXgWDy
“We’ve got ministers on the team. We’ve got retired law enforcement on the team. We’ve got dispatchers on the team. We’ve got retired fire department personnel on the team,” Sheriff Abbott said during an interview on Thursday. “So, they’re able to connect with these folks, when they’re out there, to help walk them through the situation.”
He said CISM helps them to connect with their feelings and expectations. They undergo special training in trauma and extreme stress management, and they respond to any incident when asked.
“I could’ve used counseling like that and struggling through stuff like that,” Sheriff Abbott said. “Old school mentality was you know ‘Suck it up, you’ll learn to deal with it,’ and you don’t learn to deal with it. You learn to bury it.”
Lt. Quillen will be laid to rest on Saturday morning. The public is invited to pay their respects by lining up along the processional route, along M-40 and Red Arrow Highway.
Sheriff Abbott, who’s also comforting his own staff at the department, said the best way anyone can help is to thank a law enforcement or public safety officer when you see them. It goes a long way, and helps them to cope.
“I can tell you, I’ll be here 30 years next week, and I have never seen a fire department in such turmoil as far as sorrow that I’m seeing over at Paw Paw right now,” Sheriff Abbott said. “My heart bleeds for them.”
***FOX 17 will air Saturday's services on Fox17online.com and on Antenna TV FOX 17.2***
