Firehouse.com

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Jan. 10--Hugs were plentiful Saturday as Logansport Fire Chief Bob McMinn returned to the central fire station for a visit.

McMinn, who suffered an apparent heart attack Sunday while fighting a fire, was released from Fort Wayne's Parkview Hospital Friday and stopped in to see the firefighters Saturday.

"It feels great to be back," McMinn said. "It feels really great. I don't really remember anything to tell you the truth."

The fire chief collapsed at the scene of a residential fire at the corner of Wright and 14th streets Sunday night and was taken by ambulance to Fort Wayne where he was placed in an induced coma for 30 hours and underwent surgery to install a heart stent.

Assistant fire chief Kim Costello was one of the first to see the chief as he entered the station. The two men embraced in a hug as Costello welcomed McMinn home.

Vivian McMinn, the fire chief's wife, said it meant a lot to the family to have him home and to have people waiting for him at the station.

"Oh it feels wonderful," she said. "It is the greatest feeling to have him still with us and have all the people here."

The fire chief's wife said her husband's recovery was quicker than expected. She called it a miracle.

"We've had so many people praying for him," Vivian McMinn said. "We even heard from relatives in California who said they put him on their church's prayer list."

Doctors told the family McMinn did as well as they could have hoped.

McMinn, his son Rob and their pastor gathered for a moment at the station Saturday to say a prayer together.

Rob McMinn said he believes everyone's prayers and faith helped his father recover quickly.

"God's a healing God," he said. "I absolutely think prayer had something to do with it. We were all at the ER together praying for him and we've heard reports of churches praying for him and putting him on their prayer lists.

"From where we were not even a week ago to where we are today, it's amazing."

Along with the crowd of firefighters gathered in the station, past fire chief Joe Casalini and Indiana State Trooper Ezariah Bricknell also came to welcome the chief home.

Bricknell escorted the ambulance Sunday to Parkview Hospital. Medics at the scene had requested a helicopter, but the weather did not permit McMinn to be air lifted.

Bricknell said the escort was not typical protocol.

"I followed them and helped clear intersections so they wouldn't have to slow down," he said.

McMinn reported feeling weak Saturday, but said his doctor's recommended four to five weeks of rest should help.

"I'll build up, and I'll be back," he said.

His son said getting his father could be the most challenging part of the entire ordeal. The chief's wife agreed.

"We might have to restrain him," she said. "And I'll put restraints on him if I have to."

Rob McMinn said it was important for his father to get to the station and see the firefighters Saturday.

"It's real special to have all of them here," he said. "He loves all of the guys so much and they love him too."

--Jennifer Tangeman is a reporter for the Pharos-Tribune. She can be reached at 574-732-5148 or jennifer.tangeman@pharostribune.com.