October is designated as Fire Safety Month, and I would like to introduce you to the brave souls who volunteer to keep our homes and families safe in so many ways. Pictured here are the 29 men who serve as volunteers, without any compensation. They are all on call, 24/7. When an emergency arises, all of their pagers are notified, and they drop what they are doing and get to the scene of the incident as fast as they can. Shown in this picture taken at one of their monthly business meetings are, starting with the bottom left row, Randy Schaefer, Gregg Erickson, Jeff Benson, Drew Lexvold, Conner Hegseth, Jason Benson, Matt Schaefer and Josh Revland. Second row from left are Josh Schaefer, Brandon Lunde, Jeremy Kiffmeyer, Brad Kish, Les Blakstad, Tyler Schaefer, Daniel Kish, Carl Majerus, Blake Hilke and Todd Greseth. Back row, from left are Trevor Aase, Jason Bauer, Brian Johnson, Brian Gudknecht, Riley Bauer and Caleb Westland. Missing from the photo are Monte Schaefer, Parker Erickson, Brad Rostad, Calvin Steberg and Logan Quam.
Of course, I had to ask where all the women were. I was told that this is not an exclusive department, and women are welcomed. There have been 3 women in the department over the years, but circumstances such as moving away have caused this to be, for now, an all male crew.
So, what are the duties of these men? There are about 160 calls per year. About 40 of them are non medical. The majority of the calls are medical emergencies, such as heart attacks, falls, finding someone unconscious, etc. Think 911. The rest of the calls are non-medical and are fires, gas leaks, missing persons, traffic issues and storm watches. Anytime there is an issue that needs to be dealt with, call 911 and these guys will respond to your call.
They are required to take both medical emergency training, and fire training. They learn how to respond to anything that may be thrown at them through simulations, and Fire classes through Riverland Technical College. One business meeting is held each month, and one training session, using various techniques. A fascinating simulation is held in an apartment building in Wanamingo. The men either have their sight impaired by taping waxed paper over their helmets so they can't see where they are going, or by using a smoke machine owned by the county and kept in Pine Island. The apartments are filled with fake smoke, and the responders have to find their way through the smoke to "save" the people in trouble. All members are fire certified, and the majority of them are also medically certified as Emergency Medical Responders.
The team hosts 2 events to raise funds for equipment and other needs. One is the Vintage Snowmobile Ride, held the first Saturday in March, and the other is the Fireman's Dance held on the 3rd of July in conjunction with the Wanamingo 4th of July Celebration. All are welcome to attend both events.
The Fire Fighters would like to say thank you to the local businesses and employers for allowing them to drop everything and respond when duty calls. They would also like to remind you all to shop local whenever you can, to show support back to those businesses who allow their employees to come when you call. They also are grateful to our local residents who support them financially through donations, and with words of gratitude for their efforts to keep us all safe.
Now that you know who they are, please thank them for the job they do, from the goodness of their hearts. They are dedicated, and a Brotherhood of sorts, and you can believe they have each others backs! Where would we be without them? Thanks, Guys, for giving us your all!
