SENECA, Mo. — “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”



— John 15:13





At 5 feet 5 inches and 130 pounds, Tyler Casey was barely big enough to control the force of a powerful fire hose.



But it’s the size of his heart that others said they will remember most about the young Seneca firefighter.



Casey, 21, a volunteer firefighter with the Seneca Area Fire Protection District, died Monday at Freeman Hospital West in Joplin after being injured Saturday afternoon while trying to warn Newton County residents of a killer tornado. The fire department held a news conference Tuesday to talk about the life and death of a man other firefighters are calling a true hero.



“There’s no other term for Tyler than hero,” said Michael Steele, Seneca Area Fire Protection District chief. “There’s no greater love than giving your life for another.”



Casey carried a lot of responsibility for a man his age, his fellow firefighters said. He had a 2-year-old daughter, Taryn, for whom he helped care. He worked as a machinist at Carlin’s Machine in Neosho, was finishing up his firefighting studies at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, and still eagerly bounded in to do volunteer work at the Seneca fire district office in Racine.



“He wasn’t able to make it to a lot of calls because of all of his responsibilities, but any time he could, he was sky-high and chomping at the bit to go on one,” said fellow Seneca firefighter Joshua Townsend.



“He would come in after working a 10- or 12-hour shift (at the machine shop) and would be just so covered with grease that you could hardly recognize him,” said Lt. Tim Jeffers with the Seneca Area Fire Protection District. “But no matter how dirty he was, he always came in with a smile.”





Following footsteps



Steele described Casey’s dedication to the profession of firefighting.



“Firefighting was his life,” he said.



Casey had completed his firefighting classes at MSSU and was in the middle of his final exams when he died. According to fellow Seneca firefighters, Casey wanted to get a full-time job fighting fires after he graduated.



Steele said Casey was following in the footsteps of his stepfather, Kyle Hinz, a lieutenant and maintenance and equipment manager for the Seneca Area Fire Protection District. Casey was a lifelong resident of the Joplin area and a graduate of Neosho High School, and he wanted to serve the community in which he grew up.



“You meant the world to me, and when you asked to follow in my footsteps, I couldn’t have been more honored,” Hinz wrote to Casey in a note left Tuesday on the department’s Web site, www.safpd.org. “Your mother and I were so proud of you. You always stepped up to the plate when needed. I will miss you more than anyone will ever know. I love you son.”





‘A big heart’



Casey’s passion for life crept into every part of his interactions. His smile was contagious, said Seneca firefighter Thomas Edsell. And he tackled assignments such as washing the dishes with the same fervor as fighting a fire, Townsend said.



“He had a big heart, and anything you asked him to do, you knew it was as good as done,” Townsend said.



Other firefighters will remember Casey for his devotion to his daughter. Steele said Casey always had Taryn in tow, showing her around the fire station and letting her turn on the sirens.



“We had a lot of fun with Tyler, and Tyler had a lot of fun with us,” Steele said of the man he called quiet but funny. “He was so dedicated to his community.”



It was Casey’s dedication to the community that put him in the path of the tornado that ultimately took his life. He was storm-spotting at Highway 43 and Iris Road, and warned at least three people to take cover when he spotted the funnel. By the time he made it back to his vehicle, he did not have time to get out of the area before the tornado hit.





Melissa Dunson writes for The Joplin (Mo.) Globe.