Lieutenant Scott Hellige of the Oakland Fire Department was named the GovX Hero of the Game for the Raiders Thursday Night Football match-up with the Kansas City Chiefs.
During his years as a firefighter, Lt. Hellige served as a rescue team member during the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989 as well as the East Bay Hills Firestorm in 1991, and additionally served on the Urban Search & Rescue Team (California Task Force 4) from 1996-2004.
Lt. Hellige is also an active member in the Oakland Firefighters Random acts, a non-profit that organizes charity events benefiting community members in need.
In addition to his 28 years of service with the fire department, Lt. Hellige also served in the United States Coast Guard from 1979-84 as a Boatswains Mate 3rd Class in the San Francisco sector.
Lt. Hellige was on the sideline with his daughter Naila Francies prior to the game and watched the Silver and Black warm up for their Thursday Night Football match-up.
"It's unbelievable," said Lt. Hellige when speaking before the game. "It's very exciting. It's a great opportunity. I'm really stoked."
Lt. Hellige appreciated the opportunity to represent everyone in the fire service. "I'm here as a representative of the people in the fire service," Lt. Hellige said. "A brotherhood of men and women that are doing it right now as we speak, probably rescuing someone as we speak. I see myself as a representative of that, not as an individual."
