Modesto firefighters responding to medical aid call finish yardwork for family

A photograph on the Modesto Police Department’s Facebook page of firefighters doing yardwork has garnered more than 14,000 likes and has been shared more than 2,000 times.

It’s the story behind the photo that makes it so compelling. According to police spokeswoman Heather Graves, officers and Modesto Fire Department firefighters responded to a medical aid call in the area of Scenic and McGuire drives at 3:18 p.m. Wednesday.

They arrived to find an 89-year-old man who had suffered a heart attack while mowing his lawn.

Emergency responders were unable to revive the man. He died at the scene, Graves said.

When officers finished speaking with family members inside the home, they stepped outside to find the firefighters – Capt. Matt Curless, Engineer Dan Quirarte and firefighter Rod Riley – finishing the yardwork.

Modesto fire Chief Sean Slamon said it was great to see his staff recognized, but he wasn’t surprised. “The nice thing is our fire stations are in the neighborhoods,” he said. “We become a part of the community.”

And he pointed out that it wasn’t just the firefighters who did something exceptional.

“What the police officer didn’t say is that he was inside working really hard with the family so that the body could be released to the funeral home and not taken to the morgue,” Slamon said. The officer’s actions made a difficult situation a little easier on the family, the chief said.

“One of the things why I love working in Modesto is that we go above and beyond,” Slamon said. “Our motto is ‘We care,’ and we do.”

This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 10:11 AM with the headline "Modesto firefighters responding to medical aid call finish yardwork for family."