Our time is short – ignites and dies like a flame

A personal memorial text for the late Mikko Saastamoinen by Taina Hanhikoski, CTIF Vice President and Former CTIF Coordinator, CTIF Finland.

Photo Credit: Mikko Saastamoinen, photographed in 2020 by Teemu Heikkilä. Used with CTIF permission from photographer and publisher. 

I first met Mikko in 2015, when the Finnish CTIF nominated him as a representative to CTIF’s Extrication and
New Technologies Commission. Right from the beginning, it was obvious to me that he was the right man
for the job. You see, Mikko had a passion. He dedicated his life work to road rescue and extrication. 

He was a developer and a trainer by nature and always wanting to do more, he was 100% suitable for sharing his knowledge and developing the field in CTIF.

In 2021, Mikko stepped up to take on the responsibility of becoming the chair of the Commission. Being a
chair in CTIF is not an easy task. Especially with Extrication and New Technologies, a Commission with
multiple topics to cover, and which receives constantly several requests and needs to contribute to
numerous events, groups and publications.

However, Mikko was not just a hardcore expert on the topics of the Commission; he also showed his
capabilities as a chair. First thing he did was he nominated a core leadership group for the Commission, and
he knew that delegation would be the key. He also applied for separate funding in Finland to be able to
contribute to CTIF as much as possible. He was dedicated.

I had the opportunity to observe the work of the Commission and I saw that the members respected him as
a leader. I think one big reason for this was that he treated everyone as his peers. He did not put himself
above anyone or treat anyone any less than himself. That tells a lot about him as a person.
 

Many people in and out of CTIF respected Mikko, not only for his leadership, but also for his expertise,
knowledge, and ideas for development. That includes me. I can admit, we did not always see eye to eye –
sometimes I lost my nerve with him, and I am 100 % sure he also lost his nerve with me. But we also knew
that it was the issues that were arguing, not us as colleagues and friends. We both knew what mattered in
the end and managed to achieve what we set out to achieve – like the implementation of ISO17840
standard and joint CTIF meetings in Finland, to name a few things.
 

Mikko was laid to rest on Saturday, October 26, 2024, in Kangasniemi, Finland. In the memorial service, we
heard about his childhood, career milestones and his life outside work. How speed and racing were a part
of Mikko’s life from the early ages, and how he knew he wanted to be a firefighter since he was a small boy.
 How happy he was with his spouse and children. It was a beautiful autumn day. I am sure Mikko would
have approved of it and I hope he felt the love we have for him.
 

If we could learn something from Mikko’s life, I think it would be to step up and take responsibility when
needed, and to be passionate about something in life. Do not hesitate or be afraid. Go forward and do what
needs to be done.
 

And if there is a heaven, I am sure Mikko is there talking with Jarno Saarinen, Ayrton Senna and other
legends about how to improve the safety of fast cars.

That Heaven is now a safer place with you there, Mikko.

Taina Hanhikoski

CTIF Vice President
Former CTIF Coordinator, CTIF Finland