'Fireman's blood running in his veins'
Charles H. Featherstone/Columbia Basin Herald Washington State Fire Marshal Charles Leblanc speaks to Tina, the widow of fallen Grant County firefighter Dan Dishon, during a memorial service on Saturday.
Charles H. Featherstone/Columbia Basin Herald A piper leads the family of fallen Grant County firefighter Dan Dishon out following the conclusion of a memorial service for Dishon on Saturday.
MOSES LAKE — Family, friends, and firefighters from across the state and as far away as Montana gathered Saturday afternoon to honor the memory of Grant County Fire Capt. Dan Dishon, who died on Jan. 8 of injuries sustained in an industrial accident in late December.
“I loved him enough call him enough to call him a hero,” said Travis Svilar, a captain with Grant County Fire District No. 5 in Moses Lake. “He was constantly confronting danger, but reluctant to accept credit. Dan’s only thought was for the safety of others.”
“I’ve lost a brother, and I’ve also lost my best friend,” Svilar said.
Svilar spoke to a huge crowd at Big Bend Community College’s Devries Activity Center. On hand were a number of firefighters from across Grant County and a number of deputies from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
Dishon, 39, received chemical burns on Dec. 27 following an incident at Moses Lake Industries. He was initially transported to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake, but was later transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and remained at the hospital until his death.
During his years of service with Grant County, Dishon served as battalion chief/training officer for Fire District No. 13, which serves the greater Ephrata area, and volunteered with the district since 2011. He was also a paid captain for Fire District No. 5, which serves the greater Moses Lake area, and volunteered with the district for 15 years.
“He has a burning desire to be a fireman 24/7, and he excelled at it,” Svilar said. “He had fireman’s blood running in his veins.”
Eric Macdonald, a co-worker of Dishon’s at Moses Lake Industries, said Dishon was the kind of man who would help a friend or a stranger without counting the cost.
“When he helped me build my house, he showed up with a trailer full of tools,” Macdonald said. “He even worked on that house when I was away in China.”
“He would jump in with both feet, and do everything he could to help,” Macdonald added.
Macdonald told a story of a time at MLI when Dan saved a co-worker who had succumbed to toxic gases, knowing exactly what to do because of his fire department training to keep that co-worker alive until help could arrive.
“I was that co-worker,” he added. “Without Dan being there at that time, I wouldn’t be here today.”
“I’m speaking for all of us at Grant County 13 when I extend the deepest sympathies and love for the Dishon family,” Svilar said. “Thank you for sharing Dan with us. He loved his family, and he loved the fire department.”
Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com.