Orange County Thanks Our First Responders

(ORANGE COUNTY) - As Americans gather today in Prayer, gratitude and unity — we take a moment to highlight the critical work and sacrifice our first responders make for Orange County citizens all year long. And we honor those who volunteer their time to serve alongside them to care for residents in pain, in need.

The gratitude Orange County has for its first responders — especially this year with the fires we endured, could be no better reflected than the night of honors bestowed on 23 deserving recipients Wednesday, Nov. 1st at the Anaheim Hilton, when TIP Orange County added 23 new Heroes With Heart to its growing list of honorees – 16 years strong.

The evening honored ER personnel, police, sheriffs, officers and firefighters who went above the call of duty by demonstrating extraordinary care and compassion, according to www. Tiporangecounty.org. Funds raised from the evening go towards training, equipping and recognizing TIP volunteers throughout the year. The TIP program is a team of specially trained citizen volunteers who are called to emergency scenes by hospital and public safety personnel to assist family members after a sudden death, victims of crime, witnesses to tragedy, children left alone after the death or injury of a parent, and anyone traumatized by a crisis event.

A FIRE CAPTAIN WITH A HUGE HEART: AF&R CAPTAIN KENT HEMSERI

While each TIP OC Hero With Heart has a story unique and compelling, one fire captain had special impact on the TIP OC volunteer he worked with over the course of 2016. Anaheim Fire & Rescue Captain Kent Hemseri, was honored as a Hero With Heart by TIP OC volunteer Kim Holt, of Yorba Linda.

“I don’t feel like I did anything above and beyond; however, I am very appreciative of this honor,” said AF&R Capt. Kent Hemseri, a native to Orange County. “On the calls that TIP volunteer Kim Holt was a part of and nominated me for, my guys did a phenomenal job. We were all there for the families.”

Most firefighters shy away from accolades, as they see their work as a calling, and lives they save from fire, medical emergencies or traffic collisions, just part of their job. That is why TIP OC’s taking the time to recognize these Heroes With Heart is so special, and thanking them during the month of November a time for all of Orange County to thank our first responders for all that they do.

TIP OC EMOTIONAL FIRST AID VOLUNTEERS PROVIDING AN EXTRA LAYER OF CARE

Holt, a three-year volunteer with TIP OC, considers herself an average, everyday OC citizen. A full-time stay at home Mom, she says working as a TIP OC volunteer is a leap of faith, given the variety of calls they are asked to go on.

“Our role is offering emotional aid and practical support to victims and their families in the immediate moments following a traumatic event,” says Holt, of being a TIP OC volunteer. “At the heart of it, it’s an act of humanity.”

“We walk into the unknown – just like Police and Fire walk into,” says Holt. “Just like our first responders, we never know what a call will bring.”

“My time with AF&R Capt. Hemseri was brief – but impactful,” says Holt, about working on two calls in the last year as a TIP OC volunteer with Capt. Hemseri and his crew.

“Of my first call with Capt. Hemseri in 2016, his manner was very respectful and discreet,” said Holt. “Capt. Hemseri quietly took me aside to describe the details of the call. He showed immense respect and a deep level of concern for the gentleman who had just lost a son. He wanted to be certain that this man would be cared for long after the fire crew had left.”

“In 2017, on another call assisting Capt. Hemseri it was much the same way,” says Holt. “At an apartment structure in Anaheim, a woman had come home to find that her husband had passed. Upon arriving, Capt. Hemseri once again took me aside to explain the delicate details of the call, showing great respect and concern for the victim. His demeanor struck me as so genuine. In that moment, he truly proved to be a Captain and a leader, and it occurred to me that this must be who he is by nature. He wanted to provide this woman an extra layer of care. And this is where TIP OC emotional first aid citizen volunteers come in.”

“In my opinion, Capt. Hemseri is a Hero with a LOT of heart,” said Holt.

THE HUMBLE FIRE CAPTAIN WITH A LOT OF HEART, ONE OF ORANGE COUNTY’S OWN

Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, but growing up in Huntington Beach, 25-year veteran AF&R Capt. Hemseri is the youngest brother of two older sisters.

“I knew when I was three years old that I wanted to be a firefighter,” laughed Hemseri. “I am sure it was the big shiny fire trucks when I was little, but as I grew older I realized it was more than that…”

Honored. Humbled. Hemseri truly emulates all that Orange County citizens could ever hope for in a fire captain – just don’t tell him or he’ll shy away from the praise.

He attributes his ability to care for and connect with others as an inherent trait nurtured and even modeled by his own Mom, Sevgi Hemseri, who very sadly passed away recently after her own health battle – that pained even her grown fire captain son to watch her endure.

“My Mom always put everyone else first. I always paid attention to that,” said Hemseri, whose parents are originally from Turkey. Her recent loss is still an adjustment for Hemseri, who was reflective and contemplative when speaking about his Mom and her influence on him over his life.

Hemseri’s older sister had health issues from childhood that shaped the way he viewed the world.

“My oldest sister taught me that not everyone is the same,” Hemseri said. “My compassion comes from her. That some people need a little more help than others. That some people are capable and can handle things, but that some people need a little bit extra compassion.”

“We all come from so many different paths, but sometimes our lives match up,” Hemseri said about the many calls he and his Anaheim fire crews respond to daily. “We all have these different experiences that help us with these calls.”

Hemseri attributes his ability to focus so well at his job and care for Orange County residents in need in large part thanks to love and support of his family, his wife, Tina, is a Registered Nurse, his oldest son Jack, 16, only daughter Sevina “Brooke”, 14, and youngest son, Troy, 13.

“My wife is a go-getter and problem solver,” Hemseri said. “She is one of the hardest working people I have ever met. I don’t have to worry about things at home or with the kids because of her hard work, sacrifice and dedication.”

“Because of my wife being able to handle the homestead and that I have good kids – this allows me to focus on my job and helps me at work the most,” Hemseri said. “I am very lucky. She is the rock. I am not distracted. For my own sense of direction, I don’t have to dwell on other things that can be a huge weight.”

THE FAMILY BEHIND THE FIRE CAPTAIN WITH A REALLY BIG HEART: THERE ISN’T ANYONE ELSE LIKE HIM

“Kent is one of those guys that would give you the shirt off of his back,” said Tina Hemseri, Capt. Hemseri’s wife. “He is the guy that saves the spiders. He will talk to a stranger. He calls and checks with his friends just to say hello.”

“He is a Dad that will get up out of his sleep and go pick up one of the kids if they want to come home and don’t have a ride,” Tina said. “He gives everything to his kids. He will still attend an event even if he’s tired from a long shift.”

“Wives of firefighters have to have a lot of flexibility and be strong,” said Tina. “You have to be pretty independent and be a problem solver. And at time, do the job of two people.”

“Just to give an idea of the man that Kent is, his Mom passed away on a Sunday, and on Monday, while he was making final arrangements with his sisters, he had to stop and report to the Canyon Fire 2, a significant incident that required many firefighters from many agencies,” Tina said.

Tina said that as a fire captain’s wife, sure she worries for his safety, but knows that this fire captain was once a little boy at three years of age that knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

“When he was four years old, he got mad at his family and he wanted to run away to a fire station,” Tina laughed.

“Kent is just someone that will never complain, and it speaks volumes to his character,” Tina said in earnest, while preparing a favorite fall dessert of baked apples that are a favorite of her husband’s. “This is who he is. He is a gentle soul and it is innately in him.”

“He cooks, he does laundry, and every morning, he has my coffee made,” Tina said. “I am very Blessed. There isn’t anyone else like him.”

MY DAD TOLD ME NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN TO ME WITH HIM THERE NEXT TO ME, CAPT. HEMSERI’S CHILDREN SPEAK ABOUT TRUE HERO DAD

“My Dad works super hard and he is a very good person,” said proud daughter Sevina. “He is my Hero and he has a very special place in my heart.”

“I remember when I was younger and he used to take us to Disneyland,” Sevina explained. “I was always scared to go on the big roller coaster at California Adventure, California Screaming, but my Dad got me to go on it. He told me nothing would happen with him there next to me. I was 10 years old. And after we went on it once – we went like six more times that day.”

“It is so cool that he was given this award,” said Sevina, who would possibly like to go into a profession of helping others one day.

Capt. Hemseri’s youngest son views his Dad as someone with a strong work ethic, both at home and at the fire station – examples he says are shaping the way he views the world. Hard work.

“He has really good workmanship and never complains,” says the youngest Hemseri, 13-year old Troy. “He is teaching us about giving something your all. Not doing anything half way.”

“He really looks out for us and wants his kids to be the best that we can be,” said Troy, who enjoys acting.

“I truly see my Dad as a Hero – someone saving people’s homes or their property, or lives,” said Troy. “Our Dad is very special, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

TIP OC IS A PROGRAM I WISH FIRST RESPONDERS HAD FROM THE BEGINNING

“TIP OC and its volunteers are phenomenal,” said Hemseri. “It is a program I wish we had had from the very beginning.”

“We do what we can when we first get there – knowing that when we see a family member or bystander struggling, TIP OC is a valuable resource if they choose that,” Hemseri said. “All of the TIP OC volunteers have been great.”

“It takes a special kind of person to be a TIP OC volunteer,” said Hemseri. “Anytime we call, they are there for us. It is a very noble calling, it is wonderful to be there for someone when they need you.”

“As first responders, we try to make the chaos a little bit better,” Hemseri said. “If we can’t handle something, we pull in extra resources, layers and experience to help us.”

“The overall resources available to us as professional firefighters in Southern California are immense,” said Hemseri, known by his crew as “Skipper.”

“I am very fortunate to be doing what I am doing,” said the well-mannered and soft-spoken Hemseri. “I enjoy being around the guys. We all bring something different to the table. We are all working towards a common goal of helping the people in the communities we serve as firefighters.”

“Much of what we have today in Southern California as firefighters is a tribute to the hardworking people before me, the people of the California professional fire service,” said Hemseri. “And they are all Heroes to me.”

TIP OC: AREAS FIRE SERVICE PROFESSIONALS ARE GRATEFUL FOR TIP VOLUNTEERS

A longtime Orange County fire service professional and founder of Orange County’s own FADD (Friends Against Drinking and Driving), Orange County Fire Authority Captain Steve Concialdi, works closely with TIP OC volunteers both on the job as a fire captain and with FADD Mock DUI Crash presentations that have occurred in Orange County for 27-years. Concialdi was recognized by the American Red Cross, Orange County Chapter May of 2017 for his lifetime contributions with FADD in Orange County for saving lives by presenting 100 Mock DUI Crashes in OC since 1991.

TIP OC volunteers have been involved with the FADD Mock DUI Crashes from the beginning.

Concialdi can attest to the hard work, sacrifice and critical work TIP OC volunteers play each day in Orange County.

“Both as a firefighter-paramedic and through FADD (Friends Against Drinking and Driving), I have worked with TIP since they started in Orange County,” said FADD Founder, OCFA Captain Steve Concialdi.

“TIP plays a pivotal role in the high level of care we, as first responders, give to our patients and family members in their critical time of need,” Concialdi said. “They are highly trained volunteers who show up within 20 minutes of our request and provide much needed emotional care and support to family members or friends of a seriously injured or deceased patient. This enables the first responders to go back into service and continue to protect the rest of the community.”

“TIP volunteers are called to some of the most tragic and sad incidents these family's have ever experienced,” Concialdi said. “TIP is not just a vital partner of OCFA and FADD — but to every Orange County organization they work with, and beyond.”

To find out more about how to become a TIP Volunteer, visit http://tiporangecounty.org/

PHOTOS COURTESY/COPYRIGHT THE HEMSERI FAMILY, AF&R