For the Hero of Level Zero, Thaddeus

"As a Paramedic and a Cinematographer, I want nothing more than to impact my community with the passion I have. I am not looking to change the world, just the first responder community and those who are impacted by the work we do!"

- Thaddeus Setla.

Ted’s boundless energy lead him to found Setla Films, and whether he was making training videos or documenting the EMS experience he was dedicated to use his vision to capture the human event, never playing it easy, but instead finding the essence of what we bore witness to, the ebb and flow of life’s dynamic, he presented it in such a way there was no turning back, until you were full invested. Ted captured your heart as well as your mind, and he left you inspired when he was done.

He represented the very best in EMS and he wanted to share that with the world. When society can seem unfair, that at times was brutal and horrific, his gift was to show the untempered dedication of the men and women of EMS. In all it’s grit Ted captured the EMS aesthetic and put it on display, heart on his sleeve he truly believed in the inherent goodness of man, but most importantly he believed in EMS as an ideal. Ted said that he was raised in EMS and that it guided everything he ever aspired to be. Let that be our lesson from our brother, if he taught us anything is to believe in the goodness of people and let the positive lessons we have learned from EMS be our guiding light.

On May 3rd, this gentle giant, a man whose soul spoke to us went into cardiac arrest. With life-support measures being withdrawn Ted’s family has gathered around him, to say good-bye, one last hug. One last kiss. One last touch.

Ted isn’t gone, as long as we keep him in our hearts, as long as we do it like Ted, believe in the goodness of man, we are decent to one another, we can keep his spirit and memory alive. That would be what Ted would want and if we can do that he will live in our collective souls for eternity.

I am reminded of the words of John Gillespie Magee Jr. -

High Flight

"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.

Where never lark, or even eagle flew —

And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

– Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."

Ted is our brother, we love him and we love his family. We can show them how much we loved him by helping support his family with whatever the need during this difficult time.

This is our chance to do it for Ted -