Recordpub.com - Co-workers remember Hall as outstanding firefighter

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

GARRETTSVILLE — Tragedy is part of the job, but that does not make it any easier for firefighters, police and emergency medical technicians when they lose someone from the family.

Garrettsville’s firefighters and EMTs are still stunned and in disbelief over Wednesday’s death of Melisa “Sam” Hall and her 2-year-old daughter, Naysa.

“It will remain that way for a while,” said Fire Chief David Friess. Police are investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide at Hall’s Windham home.

Co-workers were gathered Thursday afternoon at the fire station to talk about Hall, who joined the fire department as a “junior firefighter” during her senior year in high school.

Hall was hard to miss on the job, standing about 6-foot, 2-inches tall and with always distinctive hair color.

“That depended on the day of the week,” smiled dispatcher Pamela Collins. Hall’s hair varied from black and midnight blue to mahogany red to blond.

“I think she did it to try to psych out her chief,” Collins said.

Hall was an outstanding firefighter, Friess said, except for one quirk. “She didn’t like ladders,” he said.

“It wasn’t a fear of heights, he said. “She’d ride the 60-foot ladder all the way up, and she’d rappel off a training wall. She just didn’t like climbing ladders — thought they were too shaky.”

In addition to working as a senior firefighter with the Garrettsville-Freedom-Nelson Fire Department, she was a dispatcher with the Garrettsville Police Department and a paramedic with Community Ambulance, Inc., an emergency medical service.

Police Chief Anthony Milicia said Hall’s death was “incomprehensible” and would be felt by all three departments.

Hall was known by colleagues by the name “Sam,” a pet name given to her by her grandfather, friends said.

Co-workers said they had no idea that Hall, 29, was having any difficulty or was thinking of taking her own life. On May 11 she had been awarded her 11-year service badge at a fire department banquet.

Friess said Hall’s last shift was Memorial Day, Monday, May 25.

“She had a cookout here” for co-workers, Friess said. Hall loved to cook and often did the cooking on her 24-hour shift and brought food to the station.

“She went to cooking school,” Dennis Stewart said. “We never went hungry,” agreed Seth Thompson, “you hoped she was cooking” on your shift.

They said Hall was very family-oriented. She enjoyed making crafts, taking her daughter to a petting zoo, and working around her home.

Collins said Hall would bring Naysa to the fire station. “She was a sweetheart. She could wrap the biggest firefighter around her finger just by looking at them” with her big, brown eyes.

At Community Ambulance, Hall had worked her way up to the rank of captain. She started with the ambulance service in 1998 and was promoted to full-time paramedic on March 1, 2000.

During her tenure, she served many roles, said Christopher Sanchez, Community Ambulance chief.

Sanchez said Hall was top of the line at her job. “If I was sick, I’d want Sam to work on me,” he said.

Dispatcher Pamela Collins agreed.

“She was a great paramedic. She would teach all of us. She was very good about passing her knowledge on.”

Most recently, she was the department’s EMS coordinator and privacy officer and assisted in departmental training.

Hall was recognized for her skill as a paramedic and teacher. In addition to co-workers, she taught CPR classes for the public.

Her co-workers wouldn’t speak of Hall’s family.

“We’re being very protective of them. They’ve suffered a tremendous loss,” Collins said.

3.	Posted by Mr. Destiny May 29, 2009
	Voice1969, Good post! I mostly agree with you except one point. I think her co-workers are in total shock and disbelief which is very understandable at this point in thier grief process. I do not think they are trying to "protect thier own". I think that once they digest all of it more they will understand the senslessness of all of it and come to thier own individual opinions about it. As will we all. I am in total agreement of them protecting the privacy of the family. It is the right thing to do. They need thier privacy now. This is possibly one of the most senseless and selfish things a parent can do to thier child. I have lost a child through a criminals sensless and foolish hands so I could never remotely imagine anything so desperate to drive me to hurt my child or any child for that matter. I will reserve my prayers for the family left behind and the little girl who is surely with God in heaven. The final judgement for the mother will be made by the ultimate authority and it will be swift and just. I think that is the one constant here.