‘Dedicated as can be’

It was like the city stood still.

Vehicles sat in the northbound lane of North Sumner Avenue as a procession of bright red and blue lights made its way south. The line of fire trucks, including Le Mars, Red Oak, Afton and Clearfield, Creston Police and Union County Sheriff patrol vehicles and Greater Regional Medical Center ambulances slowly made the journey from Crest Baptist Church to the street alongside Creston Fire Department.

Then, after a short prayer by the Rev. Chuck Spindler and a flag presentation to his wife, tones dropped and the dispatcher’s voice rang over the loud speaker to initiate the last call of Creston Assistant Fire Chief Mick Landers.

At the age of 51, Mick died Thursday after a battle with ampullary cancer lasting more than a year.

“He would have thought there was too much fuss made over him today (Tuesday), that he was only doing his job,” Mick’s wife, Linda Landers, said. “He didn’t think he was doing anything different than anyone else would have.”

Background

Mick was born to Michael Eugene and Linda Catherine (Ripperger) Landers in Des Moines. He graduated from East Union High School in 1983 and attended Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, Colorado, online.

Mick joined the Afton Volunteer Fire Department in 1984, where he served for four years while working for the city of Afton. He has three children: Amber Landers of Kansas City, Missouri, Jessica Landers of Des Moines and Ben Landers of Portland, Oregon; and two step-children: Erin Millslagle of Cromwell and Reid Bierle of Mason City.

“Most of my memories would be him coming to sporting events, so most of my memories are of him with a big grin on his face after each and every game,” Ben said. “Especially my senior year, which would have been 2011-12, the football season that year. He loved it more than I did, and I was the one playing. He just loved watching us kids play sports.”

Fire service

In 1992, Mick worked as a volunteer firefighter for Winterset Fire Department, then came his first year of career service when he joined Fort Dodge Fire Department full time.

In 1993, Mick began his 24-year stint under the roof of Creston Fire Department, and in 1997, he earned an Associate of Arts in fire science from Southwestern Community College. He also worked in West Des Moines as a part-time firefighter.

“I used to be on the truck. I can tell you that whenever Mick was in the station, you could never ask for a more dedicated firefighter,” said Mike Whitsell, West Des Moines fire marshal.

Whitsell, who knew Mick since he joined the department in 2005, described Mick as many have: quiet, observant and dedicated.

“He was just a quiet individual, but somebody that, even though you never knew him, would strike up a conversation with you,” Whitsell said. “He completed tasks, but he completed them professionally, ... and I don’t think I ever heard him complain about anything.”

Mick left West Des Moines Fire in May 2012 when he was unable to commit enough time to the department, but still, Whitsell worked with Mick on and off.

“We were sad to see him go,” Whitsell said. “He’d always have a smile on his face, but there were times when he was listening to your conversation, he’d just kind of pop his shoulders a little bit, smile, laugh. Just a very good, genuine guy.”

Creston

After being hired onto Creston Fire Department in 1993 by former Fire Chief Melford Johnson, Mick learned all there was to know about the various trucks and different pieces of equipment.

“He (Mick) was a firefighter, too, when I started,” said Creston Fire Chief Todd Jackson. “They put me with him that first month, too. He trained with me. So, he was good. I mean, he was knowledgeable. He drilled you on stuff to make sure you knew everything.”

Jackson began working with Mick when he came onto the department in 1999. Jackson said Mick always knew what his job was and “wasn’t afraid to get in there and do it.”

“He liked firefighting more than he liked being a supervisor,” Jackson said. “One thing about him is he would think a lot about things. We would have discussions about stuff, like strategy and tactics, and how we wanted to do things. He’d go away and come back with ideas and options.”

Todd said Mick enjoyed the strategic side of firefighting, reveling in the what if’s and forming preplans to prepare the department for fires in different settings and buildings.

After seven years of continuing his firefighting education, Mick was promoted to assistant fire chief.

“I thought he was dedicated as can be,” Linda said. “When that pager went off, he was out the door. He wanted to help whoever he could help.”

Mick was certified in firefighter II, officer I, inspector I, instructor I and EMT-B, as well as being trained for hazardous materials technician.

Mike Burton, Creston firefighter, remembers Mick working with him when he started in 2002.

“It was training day every day. Most of the time he made it fun, though,” Burton said. “I took all his ‘technicallies’ in, I absorbed them. I wanted to know why he did this in the fire service, and he would explain it.”

He said the first fatality accident he was on was with Mick. He was 18 years old and asked Mick, “Who takes care of all this?”

Mick replied: “You do. We do as firefighters.” Mick then guided Burton through the process of one of the uglier sides of the fire service. He also talked with Burton afterward, explaining various ways to deal with seeing this kind of incident and responding to it as a firefighter.

Burton, who became a father in 2006, said Mick gave him all sorts of advice relating to being a parent to being a firefighter or just “as a man.”

“I would tell him thank you and how much I appreciated everything he taught me and prepared me for in the fire service,” Burton said. “I know I will pass it on in a way he did and be the best I can be for our community.”

Family

Linda and Mick knew each other before they began dating and, eventually, marrying May 25, 2013.

“He was just a very kind, compassionate person, and honest to a fault,” Linda said. “He had a great love of dancing. We used to love to go dancing together.”

Mick and Linda would attend the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, where they enjoyed listening to the music and dancing. Mick also enjoyed camping and golfing, even serving on the Crestmoor Golf Club Board of Directors for a time.

Linda said faith was very important to Mick, who was an active member of Crest Baptist Church. He also served on a committee there and was part of the Cancer Support Ministry.

“He genuinely cared for the people and wanted to help people,” Linda said. “I’m going to say love (describes him). I mean, he loved his kids tremendously and he was an amazing husband.”

Mick’s eldest daughter, Amber, who wrote a poem the day her father died and read it during the service Monday, said the song “Daddy’s Hands” by Holly Dunn described her father to a T.

“The fire station was just a giant family for us,” Amber said. “He was strict, but he had a kindness about him to go along with the strictness.”

Amber said one of her strongest memories with her family was evenings at home, music turned up, and her father teaching her and her siblings to two-step.

“I wouldn’t ask for a different father,” Jessica, Mick’s youngest daughter, said. “He guided us in any possible way he could. He was right by our side. He was a rock.”

— — — — —

Following are comments made from various family, friends and co-workers about Creston Assistant Fire Chief Mick Landers, who died Thursday.

• "He was a man of extremely high integrity and of very strong faith. You would not find anyone more honest than him." — Linda Landers, Mick's wife

• "I remember going to shovel snow for some elderly at the church and he did it, not expecting thanks, not expecting payment. He tried to be sneaky about it, actually." — Ben Landers, Mick's son

• "There's so many (words to describe him). Definitely all of the love, protection and happiness that he brought to our family. And he passed that along to his kids. Each and every day we live through him." — Jessica Landers, Mick's youngest daughter

• "I can tell you everybody appreciated Mick. We knew he was going through this battle. ... We are all very, very saddened about this loss, about his passing. And, I can tell you, everyone said it was an honor to work with him. He was a member of this department and we appreciate his dedication and service to our civilians. Mick will always be a West Des Moines firefighter." — Mike Whitsell, West Des Moines fire marshal

• "Mick was a great guy. He's going to be missed." — Rick Piel, Union County sheriff

• "Everybody knew he was the guy to go to. He knew what to do in every situation." — Mike Burton, Creston firefighter

• "Mick made me the fireman I am because of his dedication and love for the service." — Kevin Webb, Creston firefighter

• "Mick's passion for this community and the fire service was incredible. No one will ever be able to compare to him." — Jen Worisek, Greater Regional Medical Center paramedic and Creston firefighter

• "'It's better to assume you know nothing and train and practice that way, so you sharpen your skills you already have obtained.' I remember him telling this to me when I became a part-timer. Mick was a great teacher and truly had the passion for it." — Adam Leith, Creston firefighter

• "He was the definition of an American firefighter. Whenever people would stop us and thank us for our service he would tell them thanks but he was just doing his duty to the people of Creston and Union County. One of his main goals was to serve the people." — Tyler Mahan, Creston firefighter

• "When 7 p.m. rolled around for shift to start, Mick would normally meet me in the bay ready to teach me something. The topic normally was something that I probably should have known, but messed up on with a recent call. Needless to say, I never forgot how to properly do that job or task ever again. ... When I was a kid and playing baseball, I always thought it was neat that, I knew him as 'Ben's dad' at the time, he was able to be at work and still be able to attend his kids' games and events and thought that would be a cool career. Ten years later, I was working alongside him and learning from a great example." — Tony Henry, Creston firefighter