Meet Tampa Fire Rescue’s Mike Billek

Mike Billek

Tampa Fire Rescue firefighter/paramedic

Works at: Station 12, 3073 W. Hillsborough Ave. (Patch met him on a day he was working at Station 11, 710 E. Fairbanks St.)
Joined: July 2010
Personal: 27, single
Hometown: Palm Harbor

Patch: What do you like most about your job?

Billek: The camaraderie. The sense of being part of a team and being able to help our community in whatever they need.

Patch: How did you become interested in firefighting?

Billek: My grandfather was a New York City fireman in the 1950s and ’60s in Harlem. My father is currently a firefighter with the City of Tampa, coming up on his 28th year. (Joe Billek is the captain at Station 14, 1325 S. Church Ave.)

Patch: What’s your most memorable call?

Billek: I have a memorable shift. I was able to work a shift with my father. It’ll probably be the best shift I have in 30 years here. He’s battling melanoma right now. Everything I knew about the job was from going to visit him. … We were looking forward to the one day or one call where we would respond together. That day he was on the (rescue) truck and I was on the engine.

Patch: What’s your favorite color?

Billek: Blue.

Patch: What’s the last movie you saw?

Billek: "Step Brothers," with Will Ferrell. I loved it. It’s a funny, funny movie.