BALTIMORE, Md. — Those who knew Lieutenant Mark Dranbauer Jr. knew he was selfless - even those who's interactions with him were limited to his purchase of donuts.
"It's something that he would have came in and got a whole dozen of just to make sure that everybody at the fire house got one too," Diablo Doughnuts co-owner Emily Thompson told WMAR-2 News.
At Diablo Doughnuts in Nottingham, Lieutenant Dranbauer went from frequent customer to friend.
Hear how a local business is honoring the life of Lieutenant Mark Dranbauer Jr.
And as the daughter of a retired firefighter, Thompson knows what it's like to send off a loved one to work and worry whether they'll return home. Lieutenant Dranbauer's passing hit hard for her.
"It's one of those things where it could be anybody's family," Thompson said.
On Monday, the Baltimore City firefighter fell from an aerial ladder after suffering a medical emergency while battling a fire on Saratoga Street. His family announced Wednesday that his injuries are too severe for him to recover. He's currently on life support as doctors prepare his organs for donation - a choice Mark's family is immensely proud of, and one they say will allow him to save about 70 people.
"It's not just a quick check on the license plate. It's a big deal to be an organ donor," Thompson said.
Thompson and her husband are offering support the best way they know how. They've created a special fire service themed donut affectionately called "the Marky."
"We'll keep in mind to keep the amount of them copious because there's going to be a lot of people who want to come in and grab them," Thompson said.
Lieutenant Dranbauer leaves behind his son, his parents, a sister, niece and nephew. His family says he was "beyond loved."
His union, Baltimore Fire Officers IAFF Local 964, is raising money to help them cover his medical expenses.
Funeral services have yet to be announced.