Here is a little more info on why I feel he was important to the EMS community here in town.
SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - Steven Shoob was just as much a part of the first responder family as he was ours. Emergency crews said it was only right that they escort him to his final resting place in Bonaventure Cemetery.
Steven was a deeply religious man, a devoted father, grandfather and brother. He joined the WTOC news team 20 years ago. In those two decades, he served as a producer, anchor, photographer and managing editor.
Former WTOC reporter Nicole Teigen worked with Steven for seven years. "He had a passion like nobody else," she said. "It was amazing to see him keep that passion day after day after day."
He not only covered the news, but he truly cared about the people he met along the way. Steven met Oji Lukata at a fire back in 2002. "The way we met was through tragedy and it's a shame that his life and me coming back here would have to end in tragedy," Lukata said.
This wasn't a typical fire. Men, women and babies were trapped inside. Lukata climbed a ladder to help pull several of them from the flames. Lukata remembers before Steven shot any video, he made sure there wasn't anything he could do to help. It was Steven's job to tell the story of that rescue and tragic loss of life.
"I feel like what he did was just as important as what I did based on how he covered it, letting the public know there were human lives in that fire," Lukata said.
Steven won an Emmy award for that story. But he always felt more comfortable shining the spotlight on someone else. Especially his heroes, the police, firefighters and paramedics who worked the midnight shift with him.
Cpl. Amanda McGruder is a K-9 officer with the Savannah-Chatham police. She considered Steven her friend. "You can be sure Steven Shoob was right there with us, helping us, videotaping evidence, helping us find suspects, wherever we went, there was Shoob," she said.
Since Steven lost his life early Monday morning, things just haven't been the same without him.
"It's been heart broken, especially my night shift," said MedStar One Lieutenant Brian Riley. "They are very, very close to Steven, many times we needed an extra set of hands, he was there," he said.
And today many of those first responders, friends and coworkers joined his family in being there for him. Teigen said, "I think that's proof that Steven was a good man and everybody from all facets of society realize and recognize that and came here today to show their respects."
And to let Steven's family know that their loss was our loss as well.
I do agree with the comments about him running across the highway, but it also reinforced to me how dangerous it is when WE are at a scene on a busy road.