May 2021 Newsletter

BADGER FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION MAY REPORT

The members of the Badger Firefighters Association has had a busy month. The association had a lot to offer to help our members be better prepared for “LOW FREQUENCY AND HIGH RISK” incidents. On April 16 and 17 the association in conjunction with the Fillmore Fire Department and Golden E Dairy hosted an Agriculture Rescue program.

The training event included classroom session on Friday the 16th. The sessions included “What you can’t see, will kill you on the Farmstead” presented by Carl Wolf of Sunset Farms and David Kaltenberg with Agro Tech-USA. Chief Jerry Minor of the Pittsville Fire-Rescue made a presentation on “Grain Drier Fires, small and large units.” Chief Minor also talked about a pre-plan program called, FARM MAPPER. “Grain Bin facts behind the hazards” was presented by Deputy Chief Mark Steger and Ron Naab of the Allenton Fire Department. The evening program was hosted at the Fillmore Fire Station.

On Saturday the 17th of April the 80 participants and 21 instructors met at the Golden E Dairy with a day full of hands-on training. Coffer Dam Rescues with rigging and equipment to use was a very intense session. Another class involved with working with an older Case tractor that had been rolled over. The tractor was provided by Kaiser Salvage of Adell. The extrication was modified to work with new operating equipment, the most challenging objective was removing a person from the cab of a high wheel sprayer. Members of the Elbe Family participated by introducing people to the operations of equipment used in the field and walk-thru of the dairy complex. Probably the other very challenging hands-on session was working with three different skid steers with entrapments. The participants found that the cab structures are not the heavy metal that most of us thought they would be. The structures can easily be cut by a power cutters.
The committee that put this program together are very grateful to Jefferson Fire Equipment for their participation to support this program by providing lunch for all. Others that supported our training program with personnel and/or rescue equipment were: Fire Rescue Supply, Air One Equipment and Fire Safety Supply, Inc.

The last weekend of April was the association’s Annual Spring Banquet and Awards Program. This was our first in-person meeting held since November of 2019. At this meeting we honored those nominated for 2019 and 2020. We honored a number of people for EMS Meritorious Service Award. This year’s winner was Tim Holzhauer of Hartford for his dedication and efforts to promote a good work place, serving the Hartford community and helping put the paramedic program in place, effective May 1, 2021. Tony Montag, retired chief of the St. Lawrence Fire Company was recognized as the Firefighter Meritorious Service Award.

Every year the Badger Firefighters Association honors those that live within our area for acts of heroism. This year we had two incidents that resulted in seven (7) people for their heroic actions in face of possible injury to themselves. Scott Hoogster, firefighter with Silver Creek Fire Department was honored for his heroic actions at a fire scene when a disconnected 5” Large Diameter Hose. Scott ran to the end of the hose, jumped on the hose to prevent it from swing around hurting others or damaging equipment.
In Cedarburg on July 5th in 2019, 6 people put their lives at risk at a working fire to locate and remove for the fire, two people. Unfortunately both victims were succumb to their injuries. The first two to arrive
on scene were two police officers, Captain Glenn G. Lindberg and Patrolman Dustin D. Koehler. They located a male about 10 feet inside the house. After two attempts, they were able remove the man. When Cedarburg Fire Department’s first engine arrived on scene, the 4 firefighters entered the building to remove the man’s daughter. Those entering the building were: Lieutenant Blake Karnitz, Lieutenant Peter Pautz, Firefighter Grant White, and Firefighter Jason Peterson.

The board of officers and the awards committee are honored to be able to recognize all of our hometown heroes. It takes many people in many positions to serve “our customers” with a variety of expertise and skills.

Stay focused, Stay strong, Safe healthy and stay safe,

Badger Firefighters Association Officers—Fred Arbuckle, Peter Manning, Ron Naab, Jason Ebert and Jim Langford