What does it mean to be a hero? When the word ‘hero’ is mention, an image of a larger than life, almost a superhuman figure immediately pops into our minds. Real-life heroes are something quite different, though. The biggest heroes are everyday people who are able to rise to the occasion and do the right thing.
This is the story of a firefighter whose simple act of kindness helped ease the pain of a grieving family.
“It felt like the right thing to do”
Drew Kostal, an engineer with the Vacaville Fire Department, did not expect to become a hero but a call for help he received changed everything. Kostal, who has been working as a firefighter for 16 years, described what happened next.
“The call we received came in as a shortness of breath, so we made our way over to the scene and realized there was no breath,” he said.
Sadly, the accident claimed the life of Adolphus Thomas, 88, who was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Despite the tragic end, Drew and his colleagues decided to help the family of the deceased.
They went back to the Courtyard Marriott hotel where Tomas had been staying to collect the items he left behind.
“Mr. Kostal said, I want you to go ahead and put the room charge on my personal card,” the hotel manager said.
For Drew, it was simply the right thing to do. “It felt like the right thing to do,” he said. “That was about it.”
Drew didn’t want his colleagues to know he had paid for the bill
Not even Drew’s colleagues knew that he had paid for the $160 bill and it would have remained a secret if Chief Kris Concepcion had not found out and shared the story on the fire department’s Facebook.
“You hear all the bad things happening every day, and then you hear something like this,” Concepcion said.
Thomas’s family had no idea who had paid for the bill. The grieving family was moved by Drew’s act of kindness.
“For him to do that, it’s just special. It touched our heart to know that there are good people in the world named Drew,” said Idella Roberts, Thomas’ girlfriend.
It feels better to give than to receive
As a firefighter, Drew puts his life on the line every day, knowing that his and his colleagues’ efforts make a big difference in their community. Drew had experienced what it was like to be the recipient of acts of kindness from members of the community and felt like he should do the same.
“We went out to dinner on our days off, and people took care of us. ‘Your bill is taken care of,’” he said referring to the department’s battle to contain the Soberanes fire. “It felt good to receive, but it does feel better to give.”
It’s heartwarming and encouraging to know that there are people like Drew out there. One act of kindness can make all the difference when tragedy strikes. Drew Kostal is not only a good firefighter but someone we should all look up to.
