The firefighter's best friends
Fighting the two fires at the former AMPI building Wednesday was difficult for the Hillsboro and Marion firefighters, who endured two two-hour episodes of exhausting work and burned as many calories as any football team.
Wearing full "bunker gear" equipment and face masks, and breathing from air packs on their backs, four-member "attack teams" from Hillsboro plunged into total darkness of blinding, toxic smoke, five times over a 90-minute period before finding the flames.
Out of breath and dripping with sweat, the firefighters were required to report regularly to the ambulance parked nearby, to have their vital signs checked by Marion County EMTs.
According to fire chief Ben Steketee, these are the firefighter's best friends.
"Almost every time we're called out, they're called out," he said. "They're there to help protect the firefighters."
At Wednesday's fires, winded firefighters sat on the bumper of the ambulance as the EMTs checked their vital signs.
"We want to make sure that they're not getting over heated, that their blood pressure is staying down and, they're getting hydrated," said Hillsboro crew captain Misty Luthi.
There were no accidents at Wednesday's fire. But the firefighters were exhausted and winded, and some of them were required to wait awhile for their pulse rates to go down.
Steketee says he's never had a firefighter seriously injured on duty. The worst thing that ever happened was when a firefighter was overcome by smoke at a grassfire. When they got him to safety, his blood pressure was sky-high and his pulse was racing.
"We've been extremely fortunate," the chief says.
Luthi says that even so, you never know.
"We want to make sure we're ready and prepared if and when that happens," Luthi said. "You never want to think that something is going to happen, but at the same time, you can't think that it's not.
"It doesn't take but a second for something to happen with a fire."
At the fire this past week, even the most macho firefighters submitted to the exams. The firefighters understand that the EMTs have a job to do. And, it's for their own good.
"They don't want to come out, but they all understand the consequences of over fatigue," the chief said. "It puts other firefighters at risk. But some guys do take a little more convincing than others."
There's a cooperative spirit between the Hillsboro Fire Department and the Marion County EMTs assigned to the Hillsboro area. The EMTs go out on fire calls, and firefighters go out to accident scenes.
Hillsboro Fire Department members are Murray Koop, Lloyd Spencer, Lyle Isaac, Marty Rader, Kenny Ollenburger, Jason Rooker, David Lancaster, Mike Duerksen, Rachel Pederson, Joe Alvarez, Lowell Foth, Ron Toews, Jason Plett, Doug Taylor, Gerald Ollenburger, Rusy Moss, Randy Welch, Todd Helmer, and chief Ben Steketee.
Marion County EMT crew members serving Hillsboro are JoAnn Knak, Danita Unrau, Dick Carr, Rusty Moss, Jason Rooker, Sue Wadkins, Rod Bolstad, Misty Luthi, Jesse Pankratz, Gary Slater, Craig Roble, Mike Wadkins, Wendy McCarty, Delores Johnson, Andy Wray, Rachael Pederson.
If you see these people, say thank you. Most of them have other jobs, but when the alarm sounds, they drop everything.
It's good to know they have each other's backs as they protect us.
— GRANT OVERSTAKE
