‘If you don’t know who else to call, we’re the ones you call’
Courtland Fire Department
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all volunteer firefighters, the Courtland Fire Department has been operating since 1887.
Courtland's fire department covers 72 square miles. This area includes Cambria Township in Blue Earth County, half of Brighton Township in Nicollet County, the city of Courtland, and Courtland Township.
Despite the firefighter title, the role encompasses much more than fighting fires. Courtland Fire Chief Dave Ubel said that only 25% of calls are related to fires. Another fourth of calls are for car accidents, and the last half are medical responses.
"If you don't know who else to call, we're the ones you call," Ubel said.
Ubel has been part of the team since 2000. For Ubel, firefighting runs in the family.
"My grandpa was a fireman in town here and I remember as a kid him going to fire calls," Ubel said, "I wanted to be like him."
When Ubel's grandpa was a fireman, the fire department responded strictly to fires. It wasn't until 1992 that the fire department began responding to medical calls.
Ubel stressed the importance of medical responses. The first call Ubel ever responded to was a medical call. Afterwards, Ubel remembered feeling underprepared and prioritized developing his medical skills.
"I've always liked the medical part so I can be able to help people," Ubel said.
Wanting to help people is a common trait in Courtland. The Fire Department is fully staffed with 24 volunteers, with many more at the ready.
"We've got a waiting list of people that would like to join," Ubel said.
This is not the norm nationwide. In the fire service, there is a shortage of volunteer firefighters.
"We've been very lucky. We've had plenty of people that want to be on, and I think part of that's due to our governing board," Ubel said.
Ubel praised the governing board's ability to provide good equipment.
"We have a 1929 Model A Ford apparatus, and that was the original fire truck they had in town," Ubel said.
Camaraderie is another strength of the Courtland Fire Department. The department does fundraisers together, along with an annual night out for the community. They also recently had a bingo event.
"[They're] good team-building events. All the families in our department bring their kids," Ubel said, "We usually have water fights, bounce houses, and some educational opportunities as well."
Being part of a small town means that "everybody knows everybody," so many of the people working with the fire department are neighbors and friends. Ubel said that recently there has been a shift to a younger generation of firefighters, whereas Courtland used to have older firefighters. Despite the shift, camaraderie has stayed the same.
"We usually have meals before our drills and training, and everybody has the same feeling that I do," Ubel said, "they just want to help people."
Ubel and the department drill once a month for three hours. In addition, there is outside training required. Training in medical procedures, wild land firefighting, structural firefighting, and overall firefighting techniques occurs frequently throughout the year. These trainings bring different departments together.
"Coming up, New Ulm and Nicollet are both doing training burns with houses, and we've got people that are going to participate with them," Ubel said.
Another event coming up is the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Ubel said that three members of the Courtland Fire Department will be doing the stair climb in honor of the firefighters that lost their lives during the events of September 11, 2001.
Ubel participated in the stair climb two years ago.
For firefighters, the ability to help people experiencing tragedy is what it is all about.
"Every time we get called, the person that we're helping, it's probably the worst day in their life," Ubel said, "to be able to help them and maybe give them some hope is huge."
Ubel wants to thank the community for their support with fundraising, and the employers that allow the firefighters to leave work so they can help other people. Ubel also thanked his fellow firefighters.
"Everyone is a volunteer; everybody's got a job, so they either take away from their job or from their families to come in and help other people."