Growing up in the Schererville area, Matthew “Matt” Kodicek always knew that he wanted to work within a public service.
Kodicek’s father served as a volunteer firefighter. As a child, Kodicek and his brother spent a lot of time at the Lake Hills Fire Department.
Kodicek graduated from Lake Central High School in 1999. He went to college at Purdue University Northwest, originally earning his bachelor’s degree in radio and television production.
“I started out by working as a photojournalist in Rockford, going to emergency scenes,” Kodicek said. “That helped me figure out what I wanted to pursue. My career with the fire service started in 1999 as a volunteer firefighter for Lake Hills Fire Department. After that, I got my EMC certificate and worked for a number of fire departments.”
Following Rockford, Kodicek went home with the main focus of getting hired at a fire department. He started training and enrolled in paramedic school.
“I tested all over the place, including Valparaiso and Portage,” Kodicek said. “Crown Point was the first one to give me a call. I started there as a part-time and volunteer worker.”
Kodicek not only serves as a firefighter in the Region but is also the founder of Ben’s Blue Bags.
These bags contain items to assist patients on the autism spectrum manage against overstimulation in the event of an emergency. Kodicek was inspired to create the idea in honor of his 9-year-old son, Ben, who is on the autism spectrum.
“We’re recognizing that the number of people who are diagnosed every year on the autism spectrum is growing,” Kodicek said. “I never realized it before Ben’s diagnosis. It became real, and it’s something I handle daily with Ben, my wife and my other son, Brayden. It’s challenging, but I continue to learn from Ben every day about patience and understanding.”
What Kodicek takes the most pride in is the fact that the idea of Ben’s Blue Bags came into fruition close to home in the Crown Point area.
“It’s amazing to see everyone that has helped me along the way,” Kodicek said. “The fact that it has grown multi-state and internationally is incredible. To think that something could start locally and grow to be featured across all these different departments embracing the idea and seeing the need for it is a great feeling. I’m truly humbled and honored by all the people that tell us that we are making a difference with Ben’s Blue Bags.”
Kodicek’s advice to anyone with aspirations to follow in his footsteps is to keep working hard and managing time efficiently.
“There is no better time to get into public service, especially the fire department,” Kodicek said. “We are always looking for high quality people with a strong work ethic. Adding personnel to our departments that are focused on benefiting others contributes to the community as a whole.”
The short-term goal for Kodicek is to complete his 20-year vested pension in the fire department. He also is excited to see where Ben’s Blue Bags takes him moving forward.