Mick McDonald epitomized the commitment at the heart of the fire service. Serving his nation as a combat Marine in Vietnam, McDonald returned to offer his talents to the Palo Alto Fire Department. Advancing rapidly, he achieved the rank of battalion chief and eventually was named director of the Palo Alto Office of Emergency Services. His proudest professional legacy is the Palo Alto Neighborhood Disaster Association (PANDA), but the light of his life was his grandchildren. In June of 2005, Chief McDonald lost his fight with job-related cancer.