Brett Faine
Brett for several years now has been an asset to JCAS.
Brett has been an amazing resource in providing information and
discussion about EMS pharmacology. Brett has assisted us in our
protocols to ensure the drugs we are administering are in-line
with best practices. Brett has been generous with his time. I
believe having a pharmacist available in the emergency is as
essential to having one as a resource to prehospital medicine.
Mitchell "Mitch" Nordmeyer
Mitchell “Mitch” Nordmeyer was a friend to anyone and
everyone that works in the Emergency Services Field. At the age
of 18, he joined the Greene Volunteer Fire Department, and that
was the beginning of a lifelong career. He was known around the
State as an Instructor for Emergency Services. He became the
Butler County Emergency Manager in 2009, and served the citizens
of Butler County for 9 years. He could also be found in
surrounding counties and disaster areas throughout Iowa, always
willing to lend a hand. In March of 2018, Mitch accepted the
position of Iowa Homeland Security Training Officer, and moved
his wife and home to the Ankeny area.
As Butler County Emergency Manager, Mitch worked closely with
the Sheriff’s Department and the Public Health Department. He
realized that although our county was small, there were
resources out there that could be utilized, and was quick to
organize those assets. Butler County has had its share of
disasters over the recent years – an EF5 tornado, and MULTIPLE
episodes of flooding. Mitch was at his best in the middle of a
disaster. During the Parkersburg tornado, he was the Volunteer
Coordinator, and was very upset one day when all but one of the
volunteers that had signed in that morning also signed out at
the end of the day…..Needless to say, he never allowed that to
happen again! During the floods in his hometown, he would work
around the clock, trying anything and everything to save homes
and businesses. After a disaster, he would look at everything
that happened, and plan for a better outcome the ‘next’ time. He
was always looking for funding for emergency equipment for the
county, and was very successful at this. He was a valuable team
member to the Emergency Managers of North Central Iowa, and was
always willing to offer help when needed.
Mitch was a strong advocate for public health in Butler
County and in Iowa. He served as the Butler County Board of
Health Chair for several years and taught preparedness classes
to public health agencies all over Iowa. He believed in the
mission of public health and the integral relationship between
public health and emergency management. Mitch knew that together
our departments could best serve our community.
Mitch trained the original CERT team for Butler County and
utilized them for non-emergencies and emergencies alike. He was
active with the Butler County EMS and Fire Associations. Anyone
that served in Emergency Services in Butler County most likely
had Mitch’s cell phone number programmed in their phone, and
they were encouraged to call him even after he left Butler
County. When something bad was happening, you wanted Mitch on
your team, because he never let you down.
On January 25, 2019, Mitch went to work, just like normal,
and while sitting at his desk, suffered a massive heart attack
at the age of 56. As Sheriff Johnson stated, he literally died
with his boots on. We miss you Mitch, but we know that you are
still watching over us. Thank you for your service.
