[PHOTO CREDITS: Bonnie Whicher]
(LLN Initially Profiled Fillman in November, 2011– Issue No.8.)
When Lake County Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Jack Fillman sat for a Lake Legal News interview back in November of 2011, he had supervisory responsibility for more than 200 Lake County, Florida, firefighters. (LLN was sad to report his death, which occurred in 2015.) Gone but not forgotten, the county’s Public Safety Department’s Fire Rescue Division publicly dedicated a new fire truck in Fillman’s honor on January 8, 2019, and our LLN photographer was there. The truck – named “Jack” – became the was the first to feature the new Lake County Fire Rescue graphics.
Fillman worked tirelessly, serving the citizens of Lake County for 15 years, continuing to work up until just weeks before his passing in 2015. Therefore, county leaders and staff saw it fitting to honor his public service in ceremonious fashion traditionally known as a “push back.” In 2014, Lake County Fire Rescue adopted the “push back” tradition, paying homage to the days when firefighters had to detach the fire wagon from the horses and push it in by hand.
“Engine 72 will be named ‘Jack’ after the late Assistant Chief Jack Fillman, who was responsible for adding the Advanced Life Support (ALS) service delivery to Lake County Fire Rescue Operations. It is only appropriate to dedicate this truck in his honor because of this being the fire unit that provided service to him and his family,” [quoting] Fire Chief Jim Dickerson.
Lake County, Florida, Press Release (1/2/19)
James Hope is a Florida Bar Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer who has been practicing criminal law in Tavares, Florida, since 1987. He has also been the Publisher and Executive Editor of Lake Legal News since 2009. He may be contacted at LakeLegalNews@gmail.com, or through his website at www.AttorneyJamesHope.com. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
