The City of West Carrollton is pleased to announce Lee Jean Heller as the nominee for the 2024 Plaza of Fame Award. This award has been given by the City Council since 2003 and recognizes current or former citizens who have made a unique or noteworthy contribution to making the City a better place to live.
Lee Jean Heller served on the West Carrollton Fire Department as an Emergency Medical Technician from 1978 through 2001. She worked at Kettering Medical Center medical education department for 28 years, and she also volunteered with the Montgomery County Prosecutors Office, victim/witness division, for 8 ½ years to help crime victims.
Ms. Heller received special training to assist Kettering Medical Center staff to better address the effects of critical incidents allowing them to continue providing care to future patients after a serious incident. Lee Jean continued this effort with the Southwest Ohio Critical Incident Stress Management Team assisting firefighters, EMTs, police officers, and 911 dispatchers from across Southwest Ohio to cope with the effects of disturbing service calls, allowing them to return to work and continue to help their communities.
She started this service in 1993 and continues this vital service today by being a critical member of the Call-Out Team. When 911 occurred, Lee Jean volunteered right away to deploy to NYC and spent a week assisting first responders to cope with the stress at “ground zero”, including work on the “pile”.
Ms. Heller is also the author of two books; the first is “The Ladder, September 11, 2001” which focuses on what she experienced volunteering at 911, and the second is “Lights for Life, Sirens for Suffering”.
Today, Ms. Heller assists with water aerobics classes at the YMCA as well as still serving on the Southwest Ohio Critical Incident Stress Management Team.
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