Brother Dave In Memorium

Brother Dave Euerle July 22, 2006 In Memoriam

May his soul find peace and rest with the Lord he served.

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Romans 14: 7-9

Click here to download the Brother Dave Memorial and Reception information flyer

Click here for Memorial Service Photos

Click here to read Chief Kleinheinz Eulogy

Memorial Service and Reception

The Memorial service and reception following were attended by hundreds of Brother Dave's friends and brothers and sisters in the fire service. Held in the beautiful sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of Los Altos, the service was a respectful and loving way to honor, remember and say goodbye to our fallen friend and brother. All of us who attended were able to remember who Dave was to us and to give thanks for the gift of knowing him and being able to share life with him.

Literally everyone deserves thanks for making this wonderful remembrance happen. All members of the Fire Department and the Local either stepped up, or made themselves available to do whatever needed to be done. This was true not only yesterday, but for the entire two years of Brother Dave's affliction. Everyone can hold their head high and be proud of who they are as a person, and who we are as a department, and as a union.

We all know that Fire Chief Phil Kleinheinz did everything within his power to make sure Brother Dave and his family were taken care of. The Local stood hand in hand with Admin, ready to fill in wherever needed. The members worked countless hours so that Brother Dave could be kept whole financially and so that his family would not suffer needlessly. All are to be commended with the highest praise.

As we move forward into the future our commitment to Brother Dave and his family will not waiver, and is not over. I have asked Brother Herskovitch to make sure that the Brother Dave Euerle Annual Fund Raiser be immediately taken up by the Santa Clara Firefighters Foundation Board of Directors. The Local made a promise to Dave that we would make sure his children receive the education Dave wanted for them. This is a primary component of the Brother Dave Euerle Family Trust Fund. We will follow through on our promise ensuring that Tricia will never have to worry about her children's education. This is something I know Brother Dave wanted.

Thanks again to everyone for everything they have done, and will continue to do for Brother Dave and his family. A special note of thanks to Vice President DaCunha for facilitating a fantastic reception at the Convention Center.

Gary - President Santa Clara City Firefighters

Brother Orlando Commended

The Local and the SCFD Admin would like to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of Brother Jeff Orlando (Driver/Engineer) in organizing the Brother Dave Memorial and developing the Incident Action Plan (IAP). Jeff spent many hours developing multiple drafts of the memorial and IAP while remaining flexible and accommodating to the ever changing situation. His patience and steadfastness resulted in a memorial service second to none, and one which we all be proud to have been a part of. His work was a labor of love and respect for our fallen Brother Dave Euerle, and his family. We all owe Jeff a debt of gratitude and our many thanks.

Brother Jeff's work in the IAP included:
* Apparatus and station assignments for the mutual-aid backfill
* Guidelines and other information to provide to the mutual-aid backfill
* Procession-escort information, safety message, schedule and travel route
* Communications Plan for the memorial and for mutual-aid backfill apparatus

Information for the Dave Euerle Memorial Procession July 6 PM

All stations should have their rigs on the aprons by 0920 hours. As the procession passes your station crews should be located in front of their apparatus and hand salute as the first four staff cars pass in front of your rig. Driver/Engineers will be the exception as they
should be in the rig with engine running so that the crews may enter, buckle up, and join the procession with as small of a delay as possible.

We will be adding apparatus as the procession passes each of our ten stations. The procession route is as follows: Station 1, Station 4, Station 3, Station 7, Station 5, Station 9, Station 2, Station 6, Station 8, and Station 10. At multiple company stations, the engine or truck will precede the other apparatus. All rigs will be running with Code 3 lights with the exception of Engine 1 which will be dark.

There will be no procession from the church to the convention center.

Everyone drive safely and observe the Safety Plan that has been prepared by Driver/Engineer Orlando.

Thank you,
Deputy Chief Gene Sawyer
Santa Clara Fire Department

Memorial Service Update July 24 PM

All:
Dave Euerle's Memorial Service will be held at 1100 hours on Thursday, July 27th.

The location is The First Baptist Church of Los Altos, (click for map link) 625 Magdalena Road off of Hwy 280. On-duty personnel will be traveling in a procession of fire apparatus from Santa Clara to the church. Off-duty personnel that wish to join the on-duty crews may do so on a first-come, first-serve basis. We may also staff reserve apparatus to join the procession with off-duty personnel on a first-come, first-serve basis. Those interested may contact me directly.

Those personnel that wish to go directly to the church are asked to arrive at 1000 hours so that uniformed personnel may be assembled/grouped appropriately. The San Jose Fire Department Honor Guard will be helping assemble personnel at the church.

Additionally, the City Manager's Office has given direction to have all Fire Department flags lowered to half-staff for the full day of Dave's Memorial.

Please pass this information on to B-Shifters who are assigned to your station and personnel that may be on vacation.

Thank you,
Deputy Chief Gene Sawyer
Santa Clara Fire Department

Brother Dave Passes Away

Brothers and Sisters,

It is with a sense of sadness mixed with relief that I tell you about our brother Dave Euerle who lost his fight against cancer last night, Saturday July 22. He was surrounded by friends and family and his Union brothers and sisters in his final moments on this earth. Dave fought a long, hard and courageous battle and was an inspiration for us as he stood firm against the suffering he endured. He never backed down or complained. We will miss him.

Services have been planned, and many brothers and sisters from our surrounding locals will no doubt be staffing engines and trucks so that we can all attend Dave's memorial service.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers for Dave and his family and for our Local and Department.

Please find here below the announcement from Santa Clara Fire Chief Phil Kleinheinz re Dave's passing.

Gary Niblock - President, Santa Clara City Firefighters, IAFF Local 1171

From Chief Phil Kleinheinz on Saturday July 22, 2006.

It is with much sadness that I inform you that today (Saturday) we lost a great firefighter, a great friend and a great person. Dave Euerle lost his battle to cancer this evening around 2100 hours at his home in San Jose. Members of his immediate family and his fire department family were with Dave when he passed on. Dave was with us for such a short period of time but I think we would all agree that his influence on our fire department was extraordinary and positive. Words are insufficient to describe our sense of loss.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Trisha, Sammy, Sophie, Bella, Gracie and Dave's entire family. They are so grateful for all of the support that you have provided over these past couple of years. I know that our support will continue for many years and I know that Trisha and the children will continue to be an important part of our family.

Information regarding a memorial celebration of Dave's life will be forthcoming within the next couple of days. For now, please take a few minutes to telephone the members of your station who are not on duty today so that they will know that Dave has passed on.

Thank you.

Phil Kleinheinz - Chief, Santa Clara Fire Department

Brother Dave's Bio

Dave was born to a military family at the Plattburg New York Air Force Base. That same year, Dave’s father left the military and moved to Cheshire Connecticut. Dave attended Cheshire High School where he played football and was involved in track. He ran the 100, 200 and 4 X 100 yard relay and helped the Cheshire Track team go on to an undefeated season and the State Championship in 1982. Dave was also involved in theater, and had the lead role in his Senior Class Play, the musical “Damn Yankees”. Dave graduated in 1982.

Dave went on to Springfield College where he majored in Health and Fitness. He graduated in 1986. That same year, he met his wife Trish while he was doing an internship at the Glendale YMCA, as they were both taking a class together. Trish introduced Dave to her mom and her mom knew “he was the one”. Dave and Trish were married in October of 1988.

Dave became interested in a career in the fire service when he met a future Santa Clara Firefighter and current camp counselor, Dave Rose, at the YMCA Camp Fox on Catalina Island. Dave Rose motivated Dave to pursue a career in the fire service and he began his education and training as a paramedic. Dave completed paramedic school in 1992 and landed a job with Santa Clara Valley ambulance in Santa Clara County where he worked until he was hired as a firefighter by the South San Francisco Fire Department in 1995.

Dave was hired by the City of Santa Clara as a Firefighter Paramedic on March 11th, 1996. He was confident he would complete his probation, so he and Trish purchased a home on Toledo Ave. in Santa Clara while he completed his probation. The following year Dave and Trish had twins, Sam and Sophie, followed by the births of Grace in 2000, and Bella in 2002.

Dave and his family have strong faith and are active members of the First Baptist Church of Los Altos since 2000. Dave has been on two ‘missions’ to Cambodia, which resulted in the building of five new churches, and he went to Guatemala in 2004 to plan the leading of future missions in 2005.

As with his family and community achievements, Dave has had much success with, and provided many contributions to the Santa Clara Fire Department since being hired in 1996. Here are just a few of his achievements and contributions since being hired as a firefighter:
• Emergency Medical Technician Instructor
• Paramedic Accreditation Certification Evaluator
• Paramedic Intern Preceptor
• Paramedic Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement Project Team Member
• Fire – EMS Project Team Member
In addition to all this, Dave was awarded a Lifesaving Award on March 11th, 1999, for his contributions as a member of a team in sustaining the life of another human being.

Dave was promoted to Driver Engineer on June 24, 2001.

(The following is the text of a speech by Fire Chief Phil Kleinheinz in May, 2005. It was given at the awards ceremony where Dave was honored as the Santa Clara Firefighter of the Year.)

"Every organization has individuals who separate themselves from ordinary and rise to greater heights as the result of extraordinary performance. More times than not, this performance comes in areas of character values and quiet leadership. As the Fire Chief of the Santa Clara Fire Department, I am enormously grateful to the members of the Optimist Club for giving us the opportunity to honor this year’s Firefighter of the Year, Driver/Engineer Dave Euerle.

Dave was a unanimous selection to receive this year’s award. His contributions to our Fire Department, and therefore to our community of citizens, is unsurpassed and unparalleled by those of us who serve as Dave’s teammates.

When I think of Dave and his performance, especially over this past year, I think of a person who demonstrates courage, determination, compassion, loyalty, dedication and an unwavering positive attitude in the face of adversity.

Everyone knows that Dave is battling a life threatening disease, but it would be insulting to think that he was selected to receive this aware out of sympathy. A disease is something that a person has through no fault of their own. Dave is selected to receive this award not for what he has, but rather for what he has given.

And what is it that Dave Euerle has given? Well, for starters, and maybe most importantly, Dave has given us a lesson. In the Fire Service, we call it a drill. He has given us a lesson in courage, determination, loyalty and trust. His faith and trust in God and his family and friends is unshakable. His courage in battle is unmistakable. His loyalty to his profession is undeniable and his determination to remain positive, even in the most difficult of times, is unquestionably a lesson in leadership that has taken our Fire Department to heights that are unprecedented.

Quite simply, Dave’s attitude toward life is contagious. Each one of us has watched Dave and as a result of his example, we have all grown to be better employees – better individuals.

Dave’s selection as Firefighter of the Year is the result of so many contributions that Dave has made throughout his entire nine year SCFD career. I feel so grateful to have people like Dave on our Santa Clara team, but I feel especially blessed to know Dave Euerle, the person, in addition to Dave Euerle, the firefighter.

Dave, congratulations on receiving this well deserved award. It is truly an honor to serve with you on this great team."

Thursday July 19 AM

I received a call from Tricia Euerle Tuesday morning giving a quick update on Dave's deteriorating condition and requesting some help due to sudden, new needs. Dave is now unable to use his legs, and has very limited use of his arms. He is still on significant pain medications. Joe Kanaeholo and I went over to assist with lifting, bathing and general comfort issues until the hospice nurse could intervene and set up a "system". As it stands now, a nurse will be coming in during the day, Monday through Friday. Tricia will arrange a "live in" home nurse for all of the evening hours (approx. 8PM until 8AM), seven days per week.

Tricia has requested help during the daytime hours, to sit with Dave, help with lifting, etc. If any of you are available to assist, it would be a great help, and I know Dave would enjoy having a fire department family member nearby. I would propose that a "rotation" be set up, in four hour blocks, beginning at approx. 8AM and ending at approx. 8PM. Below are available times.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers, thoughts and support during this increasingly difficult time for the Euerle family,

Dave Rose

Sunday July 16 AM

I spoke with Tricia yesterday and she discussed Dave's current condition. Dave is taking very strong pain medications and is having an increasingly difficult time walking. His fine motor skills have greatly deteriorated and he's finding it very difficult to communicate. Hospice care, which was originally scheduled once a week has been increased to twice weekly. Dave continues to enjoy the presence of his family and friends. Today (Sunday 7/16) Dave will enjoy the company of some friends that will play music and sing to him at his home. Tricia advised me that Dave continues to welcome visitors and even though he can't communicate very well, he does enjoy the company. Tricia would like us to call prior to visiting. It's okay to visit on short notice, but a phone call prior would be appreciated. Thanks to everyone for your support of Dave and his family. I know they appreciate your visits and thoughts. Bill Kelly.

Thursday June 22 PM

Dave enjoyed the company of many visitors from our fire department family today. He seemed a little bit stronger than he was when he returned from the hospital on Tuesday. Tricia expressed her gratitude for the visits, however, she requested that visitors refrain from visiting tomorrow (Friday 6/22) as they would like to commit Dave's time to his immediate family.
As more information becomes available, I'll pass it along. For up to date information, please feel free to contact the duty BC.

Thanks for keeping Dave and his family in your thoughts and prayers. BC Kelly

Monday June 19 AM

Chief Titus asked me to pass on the information that he just left Good Sam (Monday @ 0930) and Dave is alert and doing about the same as yesterday. He would like to have visitors today between 1000 and 1200 and also from 1300 to 1700. However, there will be a procedure at some point today that will make him unavailable for a couple hours. At this point they don't know what time it will take place so you may want to call first and check with the Nurse's station. Dave is still in room 512. Call It's (408) 559-2011.

Please pass on the word to those who are off-duty and would like to visit Dave.

Dave Euerle was discharged from the hospital yesterday and is doing well. According to Tricia, he had a good dinner last night and attended church for a short time today. He would love to have some visitors and suggests that you call Tricia's cell phone before showing up to make sure he is home and not at radiation which will be starting up this week. 0830 is a good time to go for those who wish to go after getting relieved in the a.m.

Hersco

Posted 5-21-2006

Brother Euerle Update

Dave is out of surgery. Tricia says the surgery went very well. The tumor was successfully removed from his brain. Dave is awake and has already had some Jell-O to eat. She says that she has never seen him look so well after surgery. His color is good and he feels ok. Dave is in the ICU and is not allowed visitors with the exception of immediate family. I will send out additional information as it comes available.

Hersco

Posted 5-19-2006

Brother Dave Update

Brother Dave will be having brain surgery on Friday morning at O'Connor Hospital to remove one of the tumors from the left frontal area of his brain. His doctors feel that this procedure should buy him more time without a great risk of impairment from the surgery. After his recovery from this surgery the plan is to follow up with more radiation to the head to treat the remaining tumors. Although the cancer is present in other areas of his body as well, his medical team has prioritized his brain before considering any other treatment modalities. Dave will most likely be in ICU initially but once he is allowed to have visitors he encourages anyone who would like to visit him to come. He enjoys visiting with everyone immensely.

Please keep Dave and his family in your prayers as they face yet another difficult time. I will update as soon as I have more information.

Thank You, Hersco

Posted 05-15-2006

Brother Dave Sharks Fundraiser Pulls in Over $25,000! (February 12, 2006)

In January of 2006 three members of Santa Clara Firefighters Local 1171 (Herscovitch, Novakovich and Fetz) participated in the second annual Police vs. Fire Sharks Alumni Charity Hockey Tournament. As a result of this tournament $8,100 was raised for the Dave Euerle Trust.

During the tournament we established relationships with several individuals in the San Jose Sharks Organization. In a conversation with San Jose Sharks Captain, Patrick Marleau, Rob Jaynes (Director of Fan Development & the Sharks Foundation) explained our recent fundraiser and the charity that we were raising funds for. Marleau was touched by Euerle’s story and took a personal interest in assisting us with our cause. Marleau subsequently initiated and organized a game used stick auction. Each player on the team signed their own stick. The sticks were placed on silent auction the evening of February 10th during the Sharks vs. Dallas Stars game. Marleau also arranged for Dave and his wife Tricia along with some friends and members of the South Bay Fire Hockey team to attend the game. The Sharks donated a Penthouse Suite for the game the evening of the auction.

After the game, Marleau had Dave escorted into the locker room so they could meet. Marleau presented Dave with the stick he used that evening. Euerle presented Marleau with a thank you plaque from the Euerle family, the Santa Clara Firefighters Local 1171 and the South Bay Fire Hockey Team. In addition Marleau was given a SJFD Sweatshirt and an SCFD baseball cap. The auction was an incredible success. Proceeds from the auction were $25,610 dollars. 21 sticks were auctioned and brought in the amounts listed below:

Cheechoo - $5,400
Marleau - $3,100
Joe Thornton - $3,000
Ekman – $1,000
Preissing - $800
McLaren -$1,100
Toskala - $1,200
Goc - $440
Ekman - $700
McCaully - $520
Scott Thornton - $1,000
Stevenson - $340
Langfeld - $320
Erhoff - $650
Smith - $850
Parker - $400
Davison - $400
Nabokov - $1,400
Murray - $390
Hannan - $2,300
Fahey - $300

This brings our total amount raised as a result of the Hockey Fundraising event to $33,610. We are so thankful to the San Jose Sharks for their assistance in our efforts to raise money for the Euerle Family Trust.

Brother Mike Herscovitch