Firefighters: they run into burning buildings so that others may live.
Nobody knows this better than former Lemont Fire Chief Andy O’Donnell. He has served 45 active years in fire service.
“At 10 years old, I had a life-changing experience,” said O’Donnell. “I was walking to the library in the South Shore of Chicago. I peeked inside a neighborhood firehouse, 'Hey You, come here,' yelled a firefighter. He invited me in, showed me around and told me to come back."
Nearly 50 years later and Andy O’Donnell is still active in fire service.
“I began my career as a volunteer firefighter in Crestwood," O’Donnell begins. "I was hired in Chicago and spent 34 years there serving in the busiest firehouses in the city."