On January 26, four men were honored for their many years of dedicated service to the Henderson Fire and Rescue Department with an appreciation dinner hosted by their families. Families and friends gathered to thank and honor Frank Rollins for 46 years, Milan Mierau for 43 years, John Martens for 41 years, and Keith Friesen for 41 years of volunteering as both firefighters and EMTs. All four retired in August 2013.
The four men talked of trust and friendship as the keys to a successful department. They felt they knew what the other was thinking but also they were willing to take advice. They knew that when each was in the “heat” of battle they could count on one another. They also spoke strongly of listening to each other. When on a call and the adrenaline was rushing, it was beneficial to know that others with experience could have your back.
There was much thankfulness for the older men who had been on the department before them. Frank, Milan, John, and Keith all agreed that they learned many things from the older department members. Those older fighters shared their crucial hands-on experience and mentored these four into the excellent firemen they became.
Frank explained with laughter but with all seriousness, “when we first joined the department, the older guys like Howard Friesen, Owen Epp, and Jack Doell, made it clear that none of us were qualified to drive the pumper. And they were right! They knew what they were talking about and we respected and trusted them.”
In 1973, all four were part of the first group from Henderson to take EMT training. Having EMTs was a great privilege for our community.
Many stories were shared of both humorous and very difficult calls. Some calls from years ago still brought up emotions like they happened yesterday. They agreed that the hardest part of being a firefighter and EMT in a small town was that they usually knew the patients that they had to help. They are forever linked together by moments of exhilaration, such as the first breath of a patient during CPR, and moments of sadness, when a patient couldn’t be saved. The men shared dozens of memories, which ranged from dangerous moments inside a fire to riding in their first ambulance, which was simply a refurbished bread truck that struggled to keep out the dust.
All four men agreed that the job of a fireman and EMT is a tough one. They knew that many times their own lives were in danger, but they all agreed they would do it again in a heartbeat. Volunteering and serving the community is important to each of these four men.
Keith, Frank, Milan, and John also agreed they owed much to their wives. These women stayed home worrying about them when they left, and encouraged them after difficult calls.
Each of the four men were presented with a firefighter statue commemorating the number of years that they served Henderson Fire and Rescue.
As members of the community, please take the time to say thank you to Frank, Milan, John, and Keith for the service and protection they gave our community. Say thank you for the thousands of hours these men spent in training, and for countless hours spent away from holiday meals and family time to serve the community of Henderson. Their 171 years of combined experience will be hard to replace, so also take the time to thank our current firefighters for their commitment to keeping Henderson safe.
Article submitted to Heartland Beat
