In Memoriam
Danny Grass, 1962-2008
Dan Grass was the ideal member for a Search and Rescue team. He was comfortable and at home when he was in the woods. He was one of our first members to get his Basic Search and Rescue certification. When we needed a liaison with fire departments and the Forest Service, Dan provided this as he was fire chief of Belmont. As an electrician he was able to provide information on how our trailer generators and wiring should be set up. He took a keen interest in GPS and field communications. If the team needed first aid items, Dan knew where to find them and the best way to get the best price for us or at no cost, because he was an EMT. He took the Wilderness First Aid class and was very proud of this and encouraged fellow members to obtain these skills.
All these skills would not be of any use if you were not available. Dan was available whether it was for a search or a training exercise. When called, often in the middle of the night, Dan would sometimes hesitate, thinking of the jobs he had to do, then when told we could really use his help as we were short handed he would say, “what time and where?” A customer probably didn’t get a light installed, or thought they had an emergency because they couldn’t take a hot shower. Dan, however, knew the real emergencies—a home on fire, an automobile accident, or a lost child or missing person—and these came first.
On a search, Dan kept his sense of humor, and when team members were cold and wet or sloshing through a swamp Dan would say something to get us laughing. Jeff and Tony Grass, Dan’s brothers and members of Waldo SAR, along with the rest of the team, will surely miss Danny, and he will not be forgotten.
All these skills would not be of any use if you were not available. Dan was available whether it was for a search or a training exercise. When called, often in the middle of the night, Dan would sometimes hesitate, thinking of the jobs he had to do, then when told we could really use his help as we were short handed he would say, “what time and where?” A customer probably didn’t get a light installed, or thought they had an emergency because they couldn’t take a hot shower. Dan, however, knew the real emergencies—a home on fire, an automobile accident, or a lost child or missing person—and these came first.
On a search, Dan kept his sense of humor, and when team members were cold and wet or sloshing through a swamp Dan would say something to get us laughing. Jeff and Tony Grass, Dan’s brothers and members of Waldo SAR, along with the rest of the team, will surely miss Danny, and he will not be forgotten.
