By John Shedd – Reserve Lieutenant OCSD – HTSRU
Reserve Captain Mark Hertel passed away unexpectedly on February 27, 2008. Mark, age 51, proudly served as an Orange County Reserve Deputy Sheriff since January 1980. His most recent assignment was to command the High Tech Services Reserve Unit, which has been highly successful with internet safety presentations throughout Orange County.
Mark is survived by his wife, Sherry, and her children Kevin and Raylen. Additional survivors include his sister, Amy Stubler, brother Kurt, and in-laws Len and Jan Meyerhofer. Please keep Mark’s family in your thoughts and prayers as they grieve his loss.
The following comments were read by Lt. Shedd at the memorial held for Captain Hertel on March 4th in Lake Forest, California.
As others have said and as the news media reports, The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is experiencing the growing pains of change, yet no one incident or person defines all. Our Department traces its roots back to 1889 when Orange County was formed. The timeless dedication of individuals that have come and gone before built the strong foundation we now enjoy.
The Department remains strong with many men and women proudly serving Orange County. Mark is a part of the legacy of strength and spirit begun by our forefathers. Mark’s dedication to the Department in the performance of his assignments was at the heart of his achievements, our unit’s successes, and the benefits received by the citizens of Orange County.
Mark joined the Sheriff’s Department and graduated from Reserve Class 20R in January, 1980, at age 23. The twenty-eight years of unselfish service Mark contributed as a volunteer is a shining example in all aspects. Mark was a leader, a colleague and a friend to many of us. Even so, Mark was a very private individual, keeping work, family and Department separate. Today many of us meet for the first time in fellowship and grieve with Mark’s family and friends.
I know Mark from the Department aspect of his life. I first met Mark when he was introduced as Reserve Captain Mark Hertel at a Reserve unit meeting. Prior Captains had ranged in style from Godfather like, to humble and laid back, to having characteristics like a country deputy or an old west cowboy. Mark was very different. He seemed more professional, like an FBI agent – white shirt, tie, clean cut with a just-the-facts type of manner and style.
Mark’s new unit was in a state of change in 2001, and he was tasked with integrating the two diverse cultures of sworn Reserves and the newly formed, non-sworn, Professional Service Responders. Under his leadership, Mark’s unit was one of the first to successfully achieve that integration, and other units soon followed.
The High-Tech Services Unit gradually morphed into what it is today, meeting the needs of the Community and the Sheriff’s Department. The unit is comprised of members possessing the skills in:
- Architecture
- Computer Graphics
- Communications
- Copywriting
- Desktop Publishing
- Database Design & Computer Programming
- Drafting
- Engineering
- Graphic Design & Displays
- Illustration
- Photography
- Printing
- Public Speaking and Presentation
- Video Production
- Web Page Design & Development
Mark’s unit is truly technical, supporting law enforcement from behind the scenes; present, but invisible to the public and to many of the officers who benefit from the services the unit provides. To manage the various disciplines Mark organized the unit into five functional details:
Community Service – has been very successful in promoting Internet safety for all ages. This program has been in the works since early 2000 and continues strong and in high demand. Mark was very instrumental in sponsoring and championing this program within the department as it was reformatted and updated as computer technology and Internet threats evolved.
Networking Systems – This detail was developed to accommodate the technical needs of the department offering support to specialized units needing engineering and computer skills. Mark got the detail involved in supporting units with three or four letter acronyms behind the scenes with support and resources not available from within the department.
Operations and Support – performs the backbone administration and training for the unit. It continues to train unit personal in all aspect from law enforcement, officer safety and terrorism.
Photo/Video – provides additional production capability to the departments existing resources. Current Projects – Medal of Valor, various photo shoots in support of reserves and department historical archive.
Special Projects – deals with writers, graph arts and Web page design. Current Projects – Department Annual report, Web page updating and Community Service Division – Blog Project. This is the last project I was working with Mark last week. The project has started and is under way as Mark intended.
As you can see, Mark had his hands full. No other unit within the Department can match these technical abilities or capabilities. Mark was successful in managing his staff and providing the resources needed for his unit.
Mark’s communication style was brief and to the point. You could always expect cooperation from Mark as long as it was his way, following the chain of command and by the book. Mark showed and demanded three characteristics of his staff and unit – integrity, loyalty and competence.
Mark was respected not because he demanded it, but because he earned it. He could always be trusted to lead, to listen and to keep confidences absolute. His professional style of management was fair and equal treatment to everyone; he was a man of his word and principals. He respected his staff and unit members and he expected them to do their jobs to best of their ability. He listened to them and considered their recommendations. His way was to empower his people, supporting their actions and leading by example.
That example often meant pitching in and doing whatever was needed, working alongside his staff, with other deputies at DUI checkpoints on cold nights, or on various other callout assignments throughout his career as a law enforcement professional. His example is a major reason for his unit’s success.
I am proud to work along side with any Regular or Reserve (RDS or PSR), and I was especially so with Mark. I cherish the time we spent together supporting our communities, our Department, enjoying the rewards of the experience, satisfaction and fellowship that go along with service. Knowing we can and do make a difference every day is but one of those rewards. Mark knew this. He did not let the media distract him. His mission was to serve, and he served proudly! He will be missed, yet his legacy will live on in each of us.
I am saddened with our loss and morn with each of you. I want to thank you all for the support and friendship you have expressed and shown Mark’s family.
Thank You and God Bless.