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Watertown Fire Department

 

2000-2023 SECTION ON HISTORY OF

 

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Established 1857

 

___ 2000 __________________

01 27       Police dept space problem, municipal bldg renovation, three police/fire precincts   WDT

 

02 27       TRAIN FIREFIGHTERS TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL CALLS

Watertown’s mayor and fire chief are proposing a plan they believe will quicken the fire department’s response time to emergency medical calls in the city.  Under the plan, which Fire Chief Richard Olson calls an affordable alternative staffing approach, the city would train paid on-call firefighters who are certified as basic emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to respond to emergency medical calls.  There are currently seven of them.  “We need to plug them in and make sure we can use them,” Olson said.  “For the city to own the equipment (to respond to emergency calls) and have the people and not use them is ludicrous.”

 

03 19       FIRE CHIEF RICHARD OLSON RETIRES

Fire Chief Richard Olson will retire March 31 after serving in Watertown for 5 1/2 years.  Olson gave formal notice of his retirement plans to the Watertown Police and Fire Commission this week.  Olson said, “I am age 53 and I'm qualified to retire and it has been my intention to do so at this time.  I have other things I want to do and I have some job opportunities that I will consider seriously.”  Olson said he recommends that the city appoint fire Capt. Henry Butts as interim fire chief while the department searches for Olson's replacement.  Olson succeeded Ron Weavel as chief.  Weavel held the post from 1987 [86] to 1994.

 

03 24       On-call firefighters for staffing needs; reinstate inter-facility transport program; Chief Olson   WDT

 

06 02       INTER-FACILITY TRANSPORT PROGRAM

A fire department service in which Watertown patients are transported to hospitals in cities such as Milwaukee and Madison has been revived after a several-month hiatus.  A measure to reinstate the inter-facility transport program was signed recently by Mayor Fred Smith, Interim Fire Chief Henry Butts and Watertown Memorial Hospital Emergency Department Medical Director Dr. Kathleen Hargarten.  An inter-facility transport occurs when the Watertown Memorial Hospital calls to ask the department to transport nonemergency patients to hospitals in Oconomowoc, Waukesha, Madison or Milwaukee for specialized care not available in Watertown.  On- or off-duty department personnel then take the patients in department ambulances to their destinations while ensuring the department is sufficiently staffed for city emergencies.  WDT

 

06 29       Joel Edwards retirement, began in the 1970s   WDT

 

10 11       WALTON ROAD GRASS FIRE

Smoke could be seen for miles around the city of Watertown Wednesday afternoon as firefighters from four departments fought a grass fire northwest of the city.  The fire was ignited by sparks caused by grinding of the tracks.  Workers for the Canadian Pacific Railroad were grinding the railroad tracks near Walton Road in the town of Shields when a spark apparently landed in some dry marsh grass, starting the fire, according to Watertown Fire Department Capt. Bill Schwenkner.  “The final result was a big fire, involving about 400 acres,” he said.  Schwenkner had no idea how far away smoke from the fire could be seen, but he said it was a very, very large fire.  The fire was northwest of the intersection of Walton Road and the railroad tracks and on the west side of the Beaver Dam River.  Some of the acreage burned is owned by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.   WDT

 

10 21       WATERTOWN TIRE RECYCLERS BIN FIRE

Firefighters spent more than 11/2 hours combating a smoldering fire in a 29-foot-high bin in the town of Shields.  Firefighters were called to Watertown Tire Recyclers, W7910 Provimi Rd, after waste material in the bin started on fire.  During the blaze, firefighters made three trips to Watertown to refill their tanker trucks with water because they could not access water at the site.  Employees of Camcorp, a company contracted by Watertown Tire, were repairing the bin and set the waste on fire while smoking and using a grinding tool.  The waste was a product of the tire recycling operation.   WDT

 

___ 2001 __________________

01 31       CANADIAN PACIFIC ENGINE FIRE

Fire struck the engine of a train bound for Illinois on the Canadian Pacific Railroad as it approached the northwest side of Watertown.  Watertown firefighters responded to the blaze at the railroad's intersection with Welsh Road just before 7 a.m.  No one was injured.  Seven firefighters contained the fire and fuel.  They spent about 20 minutes battling the fire, which caused about $30,000 in damage.   WDT

 

03 10       INVESTCAST FIRE

A mechanical failure caused the Saturday blaze at the Wisconsin Investcast warehouse, state investigators determined.  No criminal activity was to blame for the fire that destroyed most of the building, including its roof.  Investcast president Larry Blanton said he didn't anticipate serious disruptions in the work flow at the foundry.  He said area foundries and suppliers were supportive.   WDT

 

 

05 03       GLOBE MILL FIRE

   Flames continued to rise from the former Globe Mill on South Water Street as a state fire marshal searched the scene for a cause of the fire that completely destroyed the historic building.  As of late morning, the Watertown Fire Department was unable to explain why the fast-burning fire occurred, pushing flames through the building’s roof, but arson is believed to be the cause of the fire that destroyed the former mill and Watertown landmark. 

 

      Image Portfolio (scroll forward) 

 

05 12       1220 E. MAIN HOUSE FIRE  [portfolio of pics]

 

09 06       FIRE AT BANDSHELL

   

In 2001, a "suspicious" fire occurred at the bandshell.  There was approximately $30,000 in damage.

 

"The fire, which started in the first floor area and extended into the walls and roof of the band shell, was reported by a citizen who saw the smoke at 6:59 p.m.  Five hundred gallons of water and fire fighting foam, containing an extinguishing agent, were used to put out the fire which kept 22 firefighters on the scene for 2 1/2 hours.  'Smoke was just pouring out of the roof area and eastern most side of the structure,' said Watertown Fire Chief Henry Butts.  'Flames were visible for a short period of time but there was thick black smoke and you could hear the fire burning in the walls,' Butts said.  Two engines, one ladder and an EMS team also responded to the fire.  No one was injured in the incident.  'The structure had a good amount of fire damage and will have a significant amount when we’re done,' said Butts. "   Insurance covered most of the cost to repair the bandshell with the Watertown Park Department crew doing most of them.

 

09 11       9-11

  

 

___ 2002 __________________

02 11       MUD LAKE MARSH FIRE

About 100 acres of marshland were destroyed Thursday afternoon by a fire ignited with sparks from Canadian Pacific Railroad workers who were welding on the tracks.  Heavy winds caused the fire to quickly spread in the Mud Lake State Wildlife Area off Walton Road.  Firefighters set up to prevent the fire from threatening four Izaak Walton League of Watertown property buildings.  The initial call, which reached the Watertown Fire Department at 2:15 p.m., was placed by railroad workers to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department, which transferred it to Watertown. Mutual aid was provided by the Reeseville Fire Department, who set up equipment on the opposite side of the Beaver Dam River in case the fire would jump it.  However, the fire extinguished upon reaching the river.   WDT

 

03 18       CITY HALL EXPANSION AND RENOVATION / Watertown Municipal Building

 

 

03 27       FUND-RAISING FOR A NEW LADDER TRUCK

A group of Watertown citizens has started a committee to organize fund-raising efforts for a new ladder truck.  Dennis Vanden Heuvel, who is a member of the city's police and fire commission, decided to start a fund-raising committee after seeing a need.   WDT

 

07 11       LIGHTS ‘N SIRENS EVENT   WDT, article & pics

 

12 07       AMONG THE TOP 5 %

The Watertown Fire Department ranks among the top 5 percent of departments in the state following a classification improvement by its auditors.  Earlier this year, Insurance Services Office Inc., or ISO, completed a public protection classification program of the station, which grades a community’s fire protection on a scale from one to 10.  One represents the best protection. Watertown, which had been rated a class four since its last audit in September 1987, improved to a three.   WDT

 

12 10       UNIT CITATION AWARD

Several Watertown firefighter/paramedics/ EMTs received a unit citation award for their work during an incident which occurred on Aug. 29.  They each received certificates and pins.  Fire Chief Henry Butts said the department was extremely busy that day having received 15 calls.  The certificate reads:  “While working on the 29th day of August 2002, during operations at Alarm #2002-1185, you responded to an alarm for a ‘structural collapse.’  Upon arrival, the incident was discovered to involve a victim who had fallen into the basement when roofing supports gave way.  The successful outcome of this incident depended directly on several fire units working together utilizing the low angle rope rescue system. Your professional manner and quick actions contributed to the success of this operation.”   WDT

 

___ 2003 __________________

01 24       FUND-RAISING EFFORT FOR NEW LADDER TRUCK

Spearheading a fund-raising effort for a new ladder truck for the city's fire department, Dennis Vanden Heuvel told members of the Watertown Rotary Club about the endeavor.  He began by narrating a scenario of someone who is sleeping and awakes to a smoke detector going off.  "The fire truck coming to your house is 23 years old and some of the equipment on it is over 40 years old," he said.  "Once the truck is in place, a firefighter climbs the ladder to mount the heavy 40-year-old spray nozzle, then climbs down the ladder to get the 3-inch fire hose and manually drag it back up the ladder to connect it to the nozzle.  That's what a group of us saw 10 months ago, and we had a lot of questions."   WDT

 

___ 2004 __________________

03 26       NEW HEAVY RESCUE SQUAD, SQUAD 1

Department’s new heavy rescue squad, Squad 1, is now in service.  After intense training and change of the graphics on the unit, the squad is ready for service.  The unit was purchased for $170,000, including shipping the unit from the North Greece Fire District near Rochester, N.Y.  Fire department management personnel made two trips to inspect and receive training on the vehicle before completing the purchase.  WDT

 

05 15       JAMES ACKER New Firefighter/Paramedic

The Watertown Fire Department has welcomed new firefighter/paramedic James Acker to its ranks.  Acker’s first day was Thursday.  “We are very happy to have Jim on board,” Watertown Fire Chief Henry Butts said.  “He brings a lot to our department with his experience, college degree and various state certifications in fire fighting and emergency services.  He is a very nice addition to our department.”  Acker told the Daily Times he began his career in fire fighting in 1993 with the town of Menasha Fire Department.   WDT

 

05 23       SECOND FIRE STATION

A could become a reality in Watertown as early as next year, under a scenario recommended by the finance committee of the Watertown Common Council.  Bielinski Homes, Inc., has offered to build a new fire station on property it owns at the corner of West Road and Horseshoe Road.  That is the edge of a large residential development Bielinski is undertaking, and a fire station there would dramatically improve response times when compared to the current station in the municipal building, according to Mayor John David.  Bielinski’s offer is to construct the new station at an approximate cost of $750,000.  The building would then be turned over to the city which would be responsible for maintenance and operational costs.   WDT

 

07 01       JERRY HEPP honorary parade marshal

Jerry Hepp will be the honorary fire chief for the city of Watertown during this year’s Fourth of July parade on Sunday.  He will be riding in Watertown Fire Department car # one during the parade, which begins at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Water and West Main streets.  Units will travel down Main Street and conclude at Riverside Park.  Hepp is the first person to receive the new annual title because he was the top bidder in an auction for the aerial platform truck fund-raiser held at Badgerland Park in September.   WDT

 

07 07       SECOND FIRE STATION, West Side, on hold

A second fire station on Watertown’s west side is on hold after the Watertown Common Council voted not to make a decision on accepting a donation of land and a building.  The council voted 6-3 to postpone any decision indefinitely, after assurances that the donor, Bielinski Bros., will leave the door open on the offer for at least a couple years.  Bielinski Bros. is the developer of a large residential subdivision on the city’s west side.  The land offered is located at the corner of West Street and Horseshoe Road, at the western edge of the city limits.   WDT

 

07 28       BUSIEST DAY

The Watertown Fire Department experienced its busiest day ever on Friday, according to Fire Chief Henry Butts.  Emergency personnel responded to 17 calls in a 24-hour period, Butts said.  The previous record was 15 calls in a 24-hour period set on Aug. 29, 2002.  Calls to the fire department have been increasing steadily, Butts said.  “But one thing to take note is that the record was beat in less than two years,” he added.  Fire department personnel responded to one fire alarm, three hazardous material incidents, two car accidents, an inter-facility run and the rest of the calls were for paramedic assistance.  WDT

 

08 06       POPPERS BAR FIRE

The building that houses Poppers Bar and several apartments at 700 N. Fourth St. was heavily damaged Sunday in a fire that occurred at about 8:25 p.m.  Watertown Fire Chief Henry Butts told the Daily Times that the fire was likely caused by careless use of smoking materials in an upper apartment.  Butts said investigators discovered that the fire started in a chair in an upstairs dwelling and spread from there.  The bar was closed and no one was in the building at the time of the fire.  No injuries were reported.  Damage was estimated at $100,000 to the building owned by Ron Ziwisky.   WDT

 

08 29       AERIAL TRUCK FUND RAISING

The Watertown Aerial Truck Fund Raising Committee has completed the first group of fund-raising efforts and has collected $84,085.92 toward the project.  Those who participated in the presenting the city with a check included fire Chief Henry Butts, Mayor John David and committee members Jim Bird, Mike Rollert,  Dennis Vanden Heuvel and Bill Neubauer.   WDT

 

___ 2005 __________________

04 07       NEW FIRE ENGINE 1, a 2004 E-One Typhoon Pumper

Residents of the area will see a brand new fire Engine 1 when the Watertown Fire Department sounds the sirens as they go to emergency situations.  The new engine, a 2004 E-One Typhoon Pumper, can carry up to 1,000 gallons of water and can pump it out at a rate of 350 gallons per minute. Fire Chief Henry Butts said the new pumper will be the first truck out of the garage on the majority of emergency responses, and it will replace the former Engine 3, which is a 1972 Pirsch engine.   WDT

 

July

19-24       WATERTOWN TIRE RECYCLERS FIRE

 

          The incident became the largest coordinated response in Wisconsin history

 

WHS_006_275

 

A front-end loader started a fire at Watertown Tire Recyclers that could be seen for several miles and the amount of smoke created was so big it was captured by a satellite camera.  The fire started when shredded tires got into the engine compartment of a front-end loader. According to a state fire marshal report, the tire debris was piled in such a manner that ventilation and cooling of the shredded material was not complete.  Hot and humid conditions the week prior to the fire also contributed to the heat in the tire pile.

 

Pictures of the black smoke that filled the air above the recycling firm located in the Dodge County town of Shields were published worldwide.

 

The Watertown Fire Department, along with 107 others from around the state, responded to the fire between July 19-24, 2005.  The fire was extinguished using a special suppressant agent.  A bill of more than $1 million for fighting the fire was generated by the Dodge County Local Emergency Planning Committee and submitted to the firm, its owner Thomas Springer and his insurance carrier.

 

Before the fire occurred, neighbors of the recycling firm at W7910 Provimi Road had formed a group called Citizens for a Safe Environment with a goal of shutting down the business.  The group had sought noncompliance action from the county alleging the business was not meeting the permit requirements.  In fact, a representative from the state Department of Natural Resources was at the business talking with the owner when the fire broke out.

__________________________________________________________________

 

The massive fire occurring at the Watertown Tire Recyclers, LLC on the morning of Tuesday, July 19, 2005 in the town of Shields, at the intersection of Provimi and Rich roads, northwest of the city, was hard to miss at the time and will be long remembered. 

 

This fire would become The Really Big One in the 150 year history of the Watertown Fire Department.

 

It took crews five days to extinguish the fire.  The incident became the largest coordinated response in Wisconsin history.

 

           920       Firefighters who fought the fire

           106       Fire departments involved

                  10      Counties participating in the combined effort

 

                  11      Engines at the scene plus

                     8     Aerials and

            107     Tankers

 

            1,310     Man hours at the scene by Watertown Fire Department personnel

 

            2,600     Miles traveled by WFD Tankers 7 and Tanker 8 making

                325     Trips transporting water to scene

 

10,500,000     Gallons of water transported and used

            2,200    Gallons F500 suppression agent used

 

                     5      Days duration

                   35     Number of other calls received during the 5 days

 

       162,000     Cost in dollars to Watertown Fire Department

       120,000     Reimbursement in dollars received by WFD

 

 

Watertown Tire Recyclers operated on 12 acres of land and the facility contained three buildings and over one million tires stored in piles.

 

Billowing black smoke rising from the mounds of tire to more than 100 feet in the air could be seen from almost every street corner in Watertown, in the cities of Jefferson and Oconomowoc and points beyond.  The plume of smoke eventually reached over the western shore of Lake Michigan, more than 50 miles distant.

 

Fire department trucks, equipment and firefighters from surrounding communities, near and distant, arrived at the scene when the fire first broke out or during the days of it continuing to burn. 

 

Fire Chief Butts requested an “all-call page” that recalled two off-duty shifts of firefighters and 25 paid-on-call firefighters.  Butts struck seven alarms in rapid succession. Included in this were mutual aid tankers from Clyman, Ixonia, Johnson Creek, Lake Mills, Lebanon, Lowell, Reeseville and Waterloo; engines from Clyman, Lebanon, Lowell and Reeseville; and aerial ladders from Juneau and Waterloo.

 

A unified command post was established a half-mile east of the incident.  A Dodge County Emergency Government mobile command post was used as the operations center.

 

Representatives from the Watertown Fire Department, Watertown Police Department, Wisconsin State Police, Jefferson County Sheriff's Department and Dodge County Sheriff's Department and health officials from the City of Watertown, Jefferson County and Dodge County were all present.

 

The DNR declared the fire a “Hazardous Substance Incident.”  Coincidentally, a DNR officer was conducting an inspection of the business at the time that the fire broke out.

 

Watertown street department crews were called in with front end loaders to move tires and create passageways.  A Bobcat moved propane tanks out of the vicinity of the fire.

 

Tanker trucks filled and refilled at a city fire hydrant in the parking lot of the Blain’s Farm & Fleet store (1400 West Main Street) and hauled water 2-1/2 miles to the scene of the blaze.  This was one of four tanker filling sites established.  Soon a convey was in place so to replenish holding tanks set up at the burning recycling business and, having done so, returned to the source for more. 

 

Watertown command officers were rotated each period so that a Watertown chief officer was always in command at the scene.  Shift rotation of personnel and equipment con-tinued with some departments rotating only manpower, leaving their apparatus in position and for other departments to use in their absence.

 

A fire suppression agent known as F500, which is similar to "wet water" was proposed to suppress the fire.

 

Assistant Fire Chief Michael Quint contacted a representative of the company that manu-factures the agent to obtain the details on its use, environmental impact and cost.

 

It was determined that the agent could be delivered to the incident the following day.

 

The company was asked to ship 480 five-gallon containers of the agent to the scene. Arrangements were made with the Wisconsin State Police to escort the tractor-trailer from the Illinois-Wisconsin border to the scene.

 

On Thursday, July 21, efforts continued to contain the fire until the suppression agent arrived at 6 p.m. The agent was dumped into the water holding tanks and then applied with conventional nozzles on handlines and master streams.  At 6:30 p.m., application of the agent began and continued throughout the night.

 

During the late evening and early Friday morning hours, dense fog set in.  Tanker operators were unable to see the edges of the highway during their more than two mile drive to continue water supply operations.  Watertown Assistant Fire Chief Neal Zinda asked the command post to contact the Dodge County Highway Department to supply highway cones every 150 feet so that the tanker operators could see the roadway. With the cones in place, the water shuttle operations continued throughout the night.

 

By Friday morning, July 22, the results could be seen and the fire was being extinguished.

 

Quint tapped the fire out on Sunday, July 24, at 1024 hours, five days after the initial alarm.

 

Firefighters operated 11 engines, eight aerials and 107 tankers at the scene during the operation. Other equipment that responded included a heavy rescue and two ambulances.

 

Over 10.5 million gallons of water was used to extinguish the fire, all of which was transported to the scene by the tanker shuttle operations.

 

The water used for firefighting operations dropped the Watertown municipal water storage system by nine feet. It took 10 days to replenish the water supply.  Some 2,200 gallons of F500 suppression agent was also used.

 

The Watertown Fire Department lost $20,000 worth of equipment fighting the fire. One thousand feet of 1-3/4-inch hose, 1,000 feet of 5-inch supply line and 2,000 feet of 2-1/2-inch hose was destroyed by being punctured by the pieces of wire that had been cut out of the tires.

 

Forty-three portable radio batteries, 12 pairs of gloves, 10 pairs of boots, several nozzles and hand tools were also destroyed.

 

Watertown Engines 3 and 4 were stripped of equipment to make Engines 1 and 2 fully equipped to be able to respond to alarms. It took several weeks to get the other two engines back in service.

 

Watertown Fire Department personnel spent 1,310 man hours at the scene. Watertown Tankers 7 and 8 each traveled 1,300 miles, making 325 trips hauling water to the scene.

 

Twice during the incident, on July 21 and July 23, severe weather passed through the area. Incident commanders were notified of the approaching weather and shut down all operations.  The aerial devices were taken down and all water flow was stopped. This let all firefighters find cover under apparatus, in ditches and elsewhere until the tornado and thunderstorm warnings were lifted.

 

The owner of Watertown Tire Recyclers, Tom Springer, had been the subject of criticism over time by area residents, who had formed a group called Citizens for a Safer Environment, in the attempt to either shut the place down or require it to be in full compliance with operating rules established by the county. 

 

The deadline for compliance had been July 1st and the drafting of non-compliance docu-ments was in progress at the time of the fire.

 

The fire was caused by shredded tires getting into the engine compartment of an end loader, according to a report released by the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation.  The tire debris had been piled was piled in such a manner that ventilation and cooling of the shredded material was not complete.  The heat could not escape and in due course a smolder heap (it only takes one) of tire shreds ignited and the fire soon spread throughout the maze of countless piled tires.

 

Almost a year after the fire Watertown Tire Recyclers LLC agreed to pay $320,000 in penalties and costs for allegations it had violated environmental laws.

 

The settlement resolved claims by the State of Wisconsin, Citizens for a Safe Environ-ment, the town of Shields, the City of Watertown, Dodge County and 94 other entities that responded to a fire at the facility.

 

According to the Department of Justice's complaint, prior to the fire, Watertown Tire Recyclers allegedly exceeded its allowed volume of tires, failed to maintain adequate fire lanes, stored tires improperly, and failed to submit required reports and to notify the Department of Natural Resources of problems and changes.

 

The settlement provided for payment of $267,893.21 to the local responders, $31,000 to the DNR for its fire response costs, and $21,106.79 to the state in forfeitures and surcharges.  It also called for the removal of all contaminated soil remaining at the site and also included stipulations that the tire collection and transportation business at the site would cease by 2010.

 

Municipalities did not recover the total amount of money spent on the fire fighting operations.  In Wisconsin, when the State Attorney General sues, all money received goes into the state education fund. Watertown received only a $120,000 reimbursement for the $162,000 cost of fighting the fire.

 

Watertown Daily Times photo     WHS_006_243

 

       < PORTFOLIO OF PICS

 

 

2005

07 24 FIRE

Fire Extensively Damages St. Paul’s Episcopal

 

 

 

 

 

Firefighters use ladder trucks to spray the roof and attic areas of St. Paul's Episcopal church with thousands of gallons of water in an effort to knock down flames and halt progress of the blaze early Sunday morning (WHS_005_228)

 

Lightning struck St. Paul's Episcopal church during a severe late afternoon thunderstorm on Saturday, July 23.  Fire erupted in the early hours of the next day, Sunday morning.  The beautiful church, located at the intersection of Second and Spring streets, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

The fire started when the roof was struck by a lightning bolt, smoldering until 10:30 in the evening, when it spread from the roof to the steeple.  Neighbors feared that some structure in the area had been hit because of the severity of the lighting strike but police were not able to find any such evidence upon investigating the concerns called in to the department.

 

                                

 

   Video clip       

 

08 26       FEMA GRANT

The Watertown Fire Department has received a $132,300 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.  According to fire Chief Henry Butts, the funds will be used to purchase 44 self-contained breathing apparatuses and 99 oxygen bottles from Bendlin Fire Equipment of Butler.  The units, which comply with modern standards of the National Fire Protection Association, are compatible with the department’s current tanks so firefighters will still be able to use the 70 oxygen bottles they hold.   WDT

 

08 30       WATERTOWN METAL PRODUCTS

One person was injured after a fire broke out at Watertown Metal Products, 1141 S. Tenth St.  A female employee was treated and transported to Watertown Memorial Hospital by the Watertown Fire Department after showing symptoms of heat inhalation.  The Watertown Fire Department received a call at 8:06 p.m. that a fire had broken out near the north end of the building.  All employees were evacuated while the firefighters fought the blaze, which was burning inside an approximately 20-foot air filter machine.

 

___ 2006 __________________

01 04       2005 BUSIEST YEAR EVER

The Watertown Fire Department had its busiest year ever in 2005 and for the second consecutive year responded to over 2,000 emergency calls.  According to Watertown Fire Chief Henry Butts, city firefighters in 2005 logged 2,134 emergency calls, which is 116 more than the 2,018 recorded in 2004.  That is an increase of about 6 percent.  Among the 2,134 calls, the fire department responded to 278 fire calls, with 55 of them being actual fires.  Out of those 55 fire calls, 28 were for structure fires.  Of the structure fires, 19 were located in the city, five were in rural contract areas and the other four were responded to as mutual aid.

 

                City reaches deal on fire contracts with townships, Doc WHS_005_549

 

12 21       2005 BUSIEST YEAR EVER

After months of negotiations it appears the city and surrounding townships have agreed on a formula that will determine the costs for future contracts for fire and emergency medical services. Watertown Mayor John David told Finance Committee members Thursday he was sending out the 2007 contracts for fire and EMS services to the surrounding townships that afternoon and he expected them to be signed by the proper officials.  Neale Jones, chairman for the town of Shields, said this morning the contracts still need to be approved by the appropriate committees but he believes they will eventually be signed.  The formula used on the 2007 contract would charge the residents in the townships of Emmet, Milford, Shields and Watertown in the city's service areas the same rate that citizens in Watertown pay for these services.  Watertown and the township residents will pay 80 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for fire and EMS services in 2007.

 

___ 2007 __________________

03 04       CRACKING FLOOR

The Watertown Common Council in closed session Thursday night decided to repair the cracking floor of the fire department garage with a carbon fiber reinforced fiberglass system. Watertown Mayor John David said today the council members awarded the contract to Maas Brothers in Watertown for about $387,000. Council members had also considered filling the basement below the floor with a structured grid of steel beams, but David said the carbon fiber reinforced fiberglass system was more favorable because it will give more strength to the floor in addition to keeping the basement fully accessible.   WDT

 

03 21       LIGHTS ‘N SIRENS PLANS

One of Watertown’s most popular summertime events, Lights ‘n Sirens, will be held at Riverside Park on Thursday, July 12, from 6 to 8 p.m.  Planning is under way for the eighth annual community safety fair.  This is a good opportunity for both children and adults to get “up close and personal” with local safety professionals.  The event is intended to promote injury prevention through education and provides the community the chance to meet with public safety personnel in a relaxed setting.  The event is sponsored by Watertown Area Health Services, Watertown Family Center, Watertown Police Department and Watertown Fire Department.   WDT

 

04 06       NEW AERIAL LADDER TRUCK

Watertown residents can begin to feel a little safer starting in May.  According to fire Chief Henry Butts, the Watertown Fire Department’s new aerial platform ladder truck will go into service on May 1.  Butts said the main advantage of the new unit is it will improve the fire department’s efficiency and the firefighters’ ability to work safely when aerial truck operations are needed.  The fire department’s current ladder truck was purchased in 1980 and because the company that built the vehicle is no longer in service, it is hard to obtain parts when it breaks down.   WDT

 

05 19       NEW AERIAL UNIT USED AT LEBANON

The Watertown Fire Department had the opportunity to use its new aerial ladder truck Monday when Lebanon firefighters sought mutual aid for a church fire.  Minimal fire damage was reported to Immanuel Lutheran Church at N572 County Highway R, according to Lebanon Fire Chief Brent Boyd.  A motorist driving by the century old church at about 3:30 p.m. Monday noticed flames and smoke from the top of the south tower near the cross.  “When we got the call for flames on the top of the church steeple near the cross, we requested a third alarm at that location when we left the station,” Boyd said.  Watertown and Ixonia fire departments responded to the scene, he said.   WDT

 

05 31       1301 S. FIFTH ST. FIRE

Two Alarm Warehouse Fire

 

06 01       FREIGHT HOUSE FIRE

 

A group of people standing outside a building

Description automatically generated with low confidence        A building on fire

Description automatically generated        A picture containing outdoor, sky, house, old

Description automatically generated   

Former freight house that was just north of the former C.M.&St. Paul train depot

 

07 21       TIRE FIRE SETTLEMENT up to date on second anniversary of fire

A hearing in Dodge County Circuit Court was canceled this week as the city of Watertown received a check for $36,000 as part of a settlement with Watertown Tire Recyclers, Inc.  The check, which was two months late, came during the week of the two-year anniversary of the tire fire at the recycling firm just northwest of Watertown.  The hearing was canceled when attorneys for Watertown Tire Recyclers withdrew a motion to reopen the judgment. According to attorney Vicki Zick of Johnson Creek, all payments have been made to date and there have been no changes to the settlement.  The city of Watertown received its check Tuesday, according to city Clerk Mike Hoppenrath.   WHS_005_550   

 

07 27       PERSONNEL

Listing of all fire department personnel

 

08 07       116 W MAIN FIRE

Above Rico’s Pizza  

 

---           PHOENIX FIRE BELL enshrined once again

In 2007 this writer was of the mind to take a photo of  the 1876 U.S. Centennial Bell of the Phoenix Engine House he remembered as being nicely displayed on the grounds of today’s City Hall, on the west side of the fire station, near the bank of the Rock River.  Alas, it was not to be found.  Most everyone could remember it and most of those folks thought it was still there.  In due course it was learned that the historic bell and its granite base was removed by the Street Department about eight years ago and was “hidden” at the back of a storage shed out by the airport.   On behalf of the Watertown Historical Society a plea was made to return the bell to the place it belongs, near the fire station.  So on the 150th anniversary of the Watertown Fire Department, the bell on its granite base was enshrined once again and is certain to be an attraction for those passing by or visiting the fire house.

       Image Portfolio 

 

08 12       Book on 150-year history of the Watertown Fire Dept released.

 

09 08       Controlled burn, training event

 

10 12       Keith Knollenberg hired as full-time firefighter/paramedic

 

11 12        Watertown Head Start visited to promote fire safety.

 

___ 2008 __________________

01 02       Perry Street apartment building totally destroyed by fire by a mattress fire     [WHS_005_555]

 

01 07       FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE BLAZE AT BETHESDA.  Watertown firefighters battled a blaze today outside of a day services building at Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services Inc. that was caused by a damaged gas line.  The Watertown Fire Department received the call for the fire at the Bethesda building, 761 Milford St., today at 6:42 a.m.  Firefighters had the blaze under control at 6:55 a.m. and completely out at 7:14 a.m.  The fire occurred outside of the building and was caused by a cracked valve on a gas line.  Fire started when the gas came in contact with an ignition source in an air handling unit.  The building sustained minor smoke damage.   WDT

 

02 01       ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT.  The Watertown Fire Department has received a 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grant of approximately $33,000.  In June 2007, Sen. Russ Feingold sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Domestic Preparedness to support the fire department’s application for the grant.  The grant is provided by the U.S. Fire Administration to support training, wellness and fitness, fire-fighting equipment, personal protective equipment and modifications to fire stations and facilities.   WDT

 

02 28       Brad Fox joins dept as firefighter/paramedic

 

03 09       SOUTH TENTH ST HOME FIRE CLAIMS ONE

   Link to article 

 

03 29       316 SUMMIT AVE HOUSE FIRE

Vacant home at 316 Summit Ave., owned by Mae Snell-Lynch Gloede, was declared a total loss.  When firefighters arrived at the scene 75 percent of the home was engulfed in flames.  While battling the blaze, firefighters also had the task of keeping the flames from spreading to an adjacent building and a number of cars parked near the home.  Twenty-three firefighters from fire departments in Watertown and Ixonia battled blaze.  No injuries reported.  WDT story

 

  Image Portfolio      

 

04 25       North Washington St duplex fire caused by lightning

 

05            REPORT:  Planning for the effective use of rapid intervention crews for the Watertown Fire Dept; Michael H Quint, author

 

05 07       Mike Meyers recognized by City Council for 40 years of service    WDT, includes pic

 

05 07       Watertown aerial ladder provided mutual aid, Lake Mills apartment bldg    WDT story

 

05 07       Fire in town of Shields destroyed a two-story home and some records of the town board.  WDT

 

05 21       419 S. Washington St. resident awoken and notified of blaze by his dog   WDT

 

05 21       Mason Pugh new firefighter/paramedic, replaces Ray Tessmann.   WDT

 

07 07       Bottle rocket likely cause of fire, 216 N Church [ former Kusel Home ].   WDT

 

07 07       Lights ‘n Sirens safety fair held at Riverside Park.  [no link] WDT

 

07 08       City teen, Ben Richter, killed by lightning     WDT story      Local teen killed by lightning remembered   WDT story

 

07 08       Permit issued in June to install walls for lockers.   WDT

 

07 16       Department Commemorates 150 Years - Elk’s Club gathering

 

07 21       Four-unit apartment complex fire,  800 block Clark St; about $35,000 in damages   WDT

 

07 26       Husband, wife injured in plane crash at Watertown airport; Plane tumbled into hangar, then caught fire

 

00 08       Muscular Dystrophy Assn collection by firefighters

 

08 18       Common Council resolution denying request from firefighter looking for the city to pay a supplemental income   WDT

 

08 20       Department opposes Heron Landing subdivision due to length of response times   WDT

 

 

Biefeld Promoted to City Assistant Fire Chief

Watertown Daily Times, 09 02 2008

 

 

Kraig Biefeld has been promoted to assistant fire chief and director of Emergency Medical Services at the Watertown Fire Department.

 

Biefeld replaces former assistant fire chief Neal Zinda.

 

Biefeld started his career in fire service in June of 1993 with the city of Watertown as a paid-on-call firefighter.  During that time he went to school and received his paramedic license through Gateway Technical College in 1997.

 

He started working as a firefighter/paramedic with the city of Kaukauna in April of 2000 and accepted the same position with the Watertown Fire Department two years later.

 

Biefeld has an associate’s degree in Fire Protection and holds a Wisconsin Paramedic license I.  He is also certified as a firefighter Level I& Level II, motor pump operator-pumper, motor pump operator-aerial, fire officer, fire instructor, fire inspector and a hazardous materials technician. 

 

Biefeld, who is a CPR instructor, has attended classes at the National Fire Academy.  He has also been a member of the Multiple Dwelling Code Council since 2005, which is a governor-appointed position.

 

Biefeld has been married for 18 years to his wife Christine.  They have two children: Lynsey, 17, and Kirsten, 10.  The Biefelds also do foster care for children.

 

“I look forward to the opportunity to serve the Watertown Fire Department as assistant fire chief and director of Emergency Medical Services,” Biefeld said.

 

10 13       Fire damages detached garage on Division St    WDT

 

10 14       10-year-old helps family avert tragedy, Cole St    WDT

 

10 20       Villages of Lowell and Reeseville, EMS contracts for 2009.    WDT

 

10 27       STATE OF THE COMMUNITY LUNCHEON

Watertown Fire Chief Henry Butts Monday talked about the current role of the city’s fire department during the seventh annual state of the community luncheon sponsored by the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce.  The entire area the fire department supplies services to is approximately 101 square miles, Butts added.  “We have quite a large area to take care of and with that comes a lot of calls,” Butts said, while adding that the fire department responded to 2,083 calls in 2007 and just over 1,800 so far in 2008.

 

10 28       Fire Chief Butts talk about current role of the fire department    WDT

 

10 29       MCDONALD'S IS TOTAL LOSS.  First use of Mutual Aid Box Alarm System  

McDonald's, 625 S. Church St., was declared a total loss after a two-alarm fire burned through the roof of the restaurant.  The Watertown Police Department has determined from information provided by witnesses and fire personnel that the fire was caused by a malfunctioning piece of heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment on the roof of the building.

 

The Watertown Fire Department received a call for the structure fire Tuesday at 6:11 p.m. and when firefighters first arrived at the scene heavy smoke was pouring out of the roof on the east side of the building near the drive-through. A second alarm brought firefighters from Ixonia, Johnson Creek, Jefferson and Lebanon.  A total of 52 firefighters had the blaze under control in 2 hours and 10 minutes and had it extinguished in 3 hours and 14 minutes. The last group of firefighters left the scene at 9:47 p.m.  It took firefighters more than three hours and 82,500 gallons of water to extinguish the blaze.

 

For the first time since it was implemented on Sept. 1, the Watertown Fire Department used the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System and Watertown fire Chief Henry Butts said he could not have been more pleased with the results.  The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System is a coordinated effort that helps reduce the amount of time it takes to get needed equipment to the scene of an emergency.

 

“Instead of having to tell the dispatchers call this fire department and ask for this, call this fire department and ask for that and call this fire department and ask for that, all I had to do was say call Dodge and Jefferson County and strike the second alarm for a fire at this address and it was done,” Butts said.

 

A McDonald's employee was injured and taken to Watertown Medical Regional Center, but the injury was not directly related to the fire.  The person had a medical condition which was exasperated by the fire.  No firefighters were injured.

 

City assessor Tom Brandt said the McDonald's building was valued at approximately $630,000. The equipment inside the structure was estimated at about $146,000.  According to the city's Building, Safety and Zoning office, the first building permit issued to McDonald's was in April of 1975.  The owner of the building was Franchise Realty Interstate Corp. of Waukesha.    Watertown Daily Times, 10 29 2008 & Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 10 29 2008

 

PORTFOLIO OF IMAGES

 

2009 Cross Reference note:  May 4, 2009 - Big Macs. Quarter Pounders with Cheese. Happy Meals. Chicken McNuggets.  Those are all food items Watertown residents will once again be able to feast upon starting in June. The new McDonald’s on South Church Street is scheduled to open on June 9, according to operating manager Todd Pickett.  The new restaurant will be 5,200 square feet and feature the most recent styles of the McDonald’s corporation.  The restaurant will also have a playland area and a dual drive through lane. The former McDonald’s at the same location was declared a total loss in October of last year when a fire caused the building’s roof to collapse.

 

11 13       Bill Adams hired by department   WDT

 

11 14       Tanya Manke hired by department   WDT

 

11 15       Rock River Pizza Co. and River City Distributing Co.; a fund-raiser for the Watertown Fire Department   WDT

 

12 18       Watertown Food Pantry donation; drive sponsored by the Watertown Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 877    WDT

 

12 26       A garage in the Town of Watertown and its contents were declared a total loss    WDT

 

___ 2009 __________________

01 22       2008 WAS BUSIEST YEAR EVER

The Watertown Fire Department had its busiest year ever in 2008 with almost 2,200 calls for services.  According to the city fire department’s annual report, Watertown firefighters and paramedics received 2,186 calls for service last year, which is up about 5 percent from 2007’s total of 2,083.  Of those nearly 2,200 calls, 25 of them were for working structure fires.  Watertown firefighters were dispatched to 19 structure fires in 2007, 14 in 2006, 28 in 2005, 29 in 2004, 18 in 2003, 28 in 2002, 45 in 2001 and 28 in 2000.

 

02 06       Fire Department Auxiliary Schedule, several firefighters exceeding 600 hours per year    WDT

 

02 17       Fire Department rates for area towns set by Common Council    WDT

 

04 03       Lifestar Emergency Medical EMS considers Watertown; EMS rates    WDT

 

04 16       APPLIED MOLDED PRODUCTS ROOF FIRE

The roof of the former Applied Molded Products building on South Montgomery Street sustained about $10,000 in damages on Tuesday following a fire that was caused by a person using a cutting torch, according to Watertown assistant fire chief Kraig Biefeld.  The Watertown Fire Department was dispatched to the old Applied Molded Products facility, 426 S. Montgomery St., Tuesday at 12:34 p.m., and the firefighters who first arrived at the scene saw smoke coming from the northwest corner of the structure.

 

05 13       HAILED AS HEROES

Two local men are being hailed as heroes by fire and police officials for potentially saving the lives of several people during a blaze at a Jones Street home early Saturday morning.  According to Watertown fire Chief Henry Butts, the city’s fire department was notified Saturday at 3:19 a.m. of a house fire at 409 Jones St. and while en route to the scene, firefighters were told that people were jumping from the second floor of the home.  “This is the first time in 27 years that anybody has ever called me on the radio and said people were jumping from a building,” Butts said.  Butts was also told while driving to the scene that five people were inside the house when the fire started.  Those five people included a mother and four children.

 

06 25       Lifepak 12 cardiac defibrillator; Review of paid-on-call firefighters to augment fire services    WDT

 

06 29       Earl Nienow, 1930-2009, firefighter for 29 years, retired in 1986 as lieutenant    WDT

 

07 08       Breast cancer awareness and research, members be wearing pink T-shirts to support   WDT

 

08 22       Combustible gas detector donated; Chickens Unlimited    WDT

 

09 15       Rich Nienow honored, 30 years as auxiliary firefighter    WDT

 

09 29       Fire Prevention Week; open house; teaming with the Natl Fire Protection Assn; “Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned”    WDT

 

09 30       Fire Department visit to Public Library at story time; Great Expectations Early Learning Center   WDT

 

12 14       Rural fire rate hike on agenda   WDT

 

___ 2010 __________________

01 25       ICE TRAINING EXERCISE

Members of department take part, on Rock river, near station    WDT [pic]

 

02 03       RESIDENTS HONORED

For rescues during May 2009 house fire, John Jeffery and Kyle West   WDT [pic]

 

02 10       TOWN OF WATERTOWN FIRE

Town of Watertown residence declared a total loss [$350,000, structure and contents]   WDT [pics]

 

03 18       SUPPORTING THE TROOPS

Starting Friday, Watertown Firefighters Local 877 and members of the Watertown Fire Department will be wearing red T-shirts every Friday to honor and support the troops at home and abroad.  This show of support for the troops has become a new tradition in fire service with departments throughout the country, wearing red T-shirts every Friday.

 

03 18       CITY FIRE CHIEF SAVES MAN FROM CHOKING TO DEATH

The Watertown Common Council was briefed on the recent actions of city fire Chief Henry Butts that saved a man from choking to death.  In a letter written to Watertown Mayor Ron Krueger, Pleasant Prairie fire Chief Paul Guilbert said Butts saved the life of Mike Callan of Middlefield. Conn., during the Wisconsin Fire Chiefs Education Association's spring conference held earlier this month in Lake Delton.  Callan was the guest speaker at the event, which was attended by approximately 65 fire chiefs from the state.

 

Menomonee Falls fire Chief Jeffrey S. Hevey wrote to Krueger that Butts assisted Callan to a standing position and administered three abdominal thrusts.  The third abdominal thrust discharged a piece of meat from Callan's airway.  Krueger discussed the letter about Butts' actions at Tuesday's council meeting and confirmed that the city will be recognizing the fire chief in the future.

 

03 27       213 S. SEVENTH ST. 

213 S. Seventh St.  $100,000 damage to home.  Primary fire hydrant malfunctioned; Second engine connected to another hydrant, pumping water to first engine.   WDT [pics]

 

04 14       $1,000 donation from Golden Living for continued enhancement of services   WDT [pic]

 

04 14       Fire at 1307 South Third   WDT

 

07 06       11th annual Lights 'n Sirens event returns to Watertown July 8 at Riverside Park   WDT

 

07 29       Muscular Dystrophy Association; Firefighters will remove their boots to collect money for   WDT

 

10 08       Students from Germany visit Department

 

12 17       ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF COMMITS SUICIDE

 

 

 

 

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12 22       FIREFIGHTERS RECEIVE LIFESAVING MEDALS

Several Watertown firefighters were presented with lifesaving medals during Tuesday’s common council meeting for helping revive Becky Schroeder, who on April 1 was found unresponsive and without a pulse.  AwardED were firefighter Brad Fox, firefighter Chad Butler, firefighter Ken Riggs, firefighter Greg Wellach, firefighter Brad Hering and acting fire Chief Kraig Biefeld.   WDT

 

DEC          COMPLAINT FILED BY ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF

Assistant Fire Chief Michael Quint complaint against the city, former fire Chief Henry Butts and Mayor Ron Krueger.

      Watertown fire department in turmoil after claims, suicide    WSJour article    

 

___ 2011 __________________

02 11       RIVER BEND RD FIRE

Portfolio of 18 images  

 

02 20       TEST AMERICA LABORATORIES destroyed by fire.

  

 

03 11       SURVIVE ALIVE HOUSE RESTORED

Editor, Daily Times:

 

The Watertown Kiwanis recently had a meeting honoring the volunteers who help to restore The Survive Alive House.  The house was built by Kiwanis about 16 years ago, along with the gracious Capt. Ken Peterson who was working at the Watertown Fire Department at that time and Dawn McBride who at that time was a Kiwanian.  They took hold of this project along with the Watertown Kiwanis to make this dream come true.  The materials were mostly donated by the local business to keep the cost within reason.  We all worked very hard on this project.  We had a lot of fun, story telling (doughnuts) and jokes while we worked.

 

The restoring of the house is now completed with the help of Ken Peterson, Deputy Chief Ralph Wandersee, material and time from John Toma from Toma Construction, Chuck Volrath redid the pay phone system, Jim Zuern with materials from Zuern Lumber and Steve Lehman for the new stove from Felton Electric.

 

The house will soon be at schools, gatherings, fairs, etc., to teach the children how to get out of a house in case of fire.  The house is completed with smoke added to detect a fire in progress so the children learn to keep low and get out quickly.  When you see this house out and about be sure to let the children go through as we have heard good results from the teaching of this Survive Alive House saved lives.

 

Many thanks to all.

Watertown Kiwanis

Edna DeWitt, Secretary

 

03 23       Steven Beer, Asst Chief of Operations, Fond du Lac Fire Dept, to be new chief of the Watertown Fire Department.

 

04 01       Steven Beer declines appointment

 

04 12       PANEL TO GET HELP PICKING FIRE CHIEF

The Watertown Police and Fire Commission will be looking for outside assistance in selecting a new fire chief.  The commission decided on Monday to invite representatives from Voorhees Associates and Springsted to attend Wednesday’s meeting to explain their companies’ hiring practices.  Commission members have asked the two businesses to provide these services free of charge.

 

The police and fire commission had originally offered the open fire chief position to Steven Beer, but the assistant chief of operations for the Fond du Lac Fire Department declined to take the job about two weeks ago.  Beer informed the police and fire commission that he wasn't going to accept the position because of the recent police shooting in Fond du Lac that killed one officer and wounded another. He felt that walking away from his current job at this time would not be appropriate for the city of Fond du Lac and the department.

 

The police and fire commission originally received 17 applications for the fire chief position. That list was pared down to seven after commission members studied all of the submitted resumes. Those seven applicants were then asked to complete an essay in which each person was to outline his or her leadership skills, abilities and other attributes each could bring to the department.  From that list, five finalists were selected for face-to-face interviews. The commission had selected Beer out of that group.

 

The fire chief position has been open since Nov. 30, 2010, when former Chief Henry Butts resigned amid an internal investigation of the department.  Assistant Chief Kraig Biefeld was named acting chief upon Butts’ departure and will continue to serve that position until a new chief is on board.

 

05 26       FIREFIGHTERS FROM GUATEMALA VISITED; Hearts in Motion project

 

05 26       PROPANE EMERGENCY TRAINING

     N. First St. parking lot; WI Propane Education and Research Council, sponsor.

 

09 06       GREGORY MICHALEK APPOINTED FIRE CHIEF

  

 

Michalek succeeds former fire chief Henry Butts, who resigned on Nov. 30, 2010, amid an internal investigation of the fire department.  Assistant fire Chief Kraig Biefeld had been serving as acting fire chief between Butts’ resignation and Michalek’s first day on the job.  Michalek, who holds a bachelor's degree from Western Illinois University, was most recently the fire chief of Bay City, Mich. He had served that position since 2009. He started working as a paid on-call firefighter for the fire department in La Grange, 111., in 1974 and was promoted to captain in 2001. He stayed with the La Grange Fire Department until he started his tenure with the Bay City Fire Department in 2009.

 

The police and fire commission in March of this year had originally picked Steven Beer, the assistant chief of operations for the Fond du Lac Fire Department, to be Watertown's fire chief, but he declined the job.  Beer informed the police and fire commission that he wasn't going to accept the position because of the police shooting in Fond du Lac that killed one officer and wounded another. He felt that walking away from his current job would not be appropriate for the city of Fond du Lac and the department.

 

09 22       DEPARTMENT NO LONGER ENDORSING businesses, residents or organizations.  In the past allowed solicitation on its behalf for public education materials.

 

11 15       CHIEF KRAIG BIEFELD presented the distinguished fire service award and plaque by the Watertown Police and Fire Commission in recognition of his service as interim fire chief from November 2010 to August.  The award says Biefeld's inspirational leadership contributed to and had a positive impact on the morale and well-being of the Watertown Fire Department.

 

12 21       Butts charged with theft.  Did not reimburse the city for airfare purchases made with the city’s credit card.

 

___ 2012 __________________

04 13       605 South Second St fire

 

05 17       GUNS N’ HOSES OF WATERTOWN WI KISS THE PIG CONTEST

The Watertown Citizen Police Academy Alumni is holding its first Guns N’ Hoses Watertown event to raise money for the police and fire departments.  The money raised will be divided equally between both departments for items on their wish list and an amount to be determined to go to the CPAA to help defray the cost of the event.  The event will be called “Guns N’ Hoses of Watertown WI Kiss the Pig Contest.” The contestants will be Watertown Alderman John Coughlin, police officer Marcie Repta and Assistant Fire Chief Ralph Wandersee.  The winner of the contest, the one who raises the most money in their name, will kiss a pig at the annual Lights ‘n Sirens event held at Riverside Park on July 12.

 

06 01       MATT PIEPER

Newest full-time firefighter/paramedic.  From Hustisford, worked as an on-call firefighter for 8 years before being hired full time at the beginning of May.

 

07 18       LIFE SAFETY AWARDS

The Watertown Common Council recognized five members of the Watertown Fire Department with life safety awards for saving the life of Gordon Hensler, of Watertown, in September 2011.  Firefighters Todd Christian, Chad Butler, Brad Hering, Brad Fox and William Adams responded to an emergency call for a man having a heart attack and when the firefighters arrived on scene Hensler was unresponsive with no pulse and not breathing . . . “I truly want to thank all of the personnel for their great service,” Hensler said. “I was revived twice.”   WDT article   

 

08 11       TRAINING SESSION AT RHINE RD AND PROSPECT ST.

The Watertown Fire Department conducted a training session on a house off of Rhine Road, lighting several controlled fires inside the home and having firefighters put them out, also training on search and rescue missions inside the burning home.  At the end of the training the house was completely ablaze and allowed to burn down.   WDT

> > Link to portfolio of pics  [156 image set; view individually or as a slide show]   [full reference is digital folder WFD WHS 006]

> > Link to video clip    [4:43 minutes]  /  [full video, 46:34 minutes] 

 

09 04       2012 Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Watertown Common Council will vote on.  Contract has already been approved by the Local 877 firefighters union and recommended by the finance committee.  Department agreed to a wage freeze for 2012 and said the contract continues most of the same conditions the firefighters had already been working under.  Expected to pass.

09 04       CHICKENS UNLIMITED donated $2,000 for the department’s new training center located near the Watertown Municipal Airport.  WDT

  

 

09 05       W7889 PROVIMI ROAD

Watertown firefighters responded on 09/04 at 9:43 p.m. to W7889 Provimi Road in Emmet after a lightning strike set a detached garage on fire.  The garage was a total a loss; the damage to be around $15,000.  WDT

 

09 10       103 ½ COLLEGE ST. DUPLEX.  9:11 p.m. a neighbor saw flickering lights and smoke coming out of a window.  Fire caused by a malfunctioning box fan.  The fire caused between $500-$1,000 in damage, mostly due to the smoke.     Link to portfolio of pics

 

09 19       FARMINGTON MARSH FIRE.  Fire and 35 mph. winds combined on September 19th to create a situation in which firefighters from throughout Jefferson County were forced to scramble to control a potentially disastrous situation in the marsh of the lowland valley west of N7153 Switzke Road in the town of Farmington.  The flames headed north and northeast as fast as the winds could carry them. North of the marsh were cornfields and beyond that, rural homes. The fire started when the property owners were burning vegetation along fence rows earlier in the day.  ATVs got behind the flames and got the fire out.”  About 60 acres of marsh and lowland were burned. Seven additional departments were called to the blaze, including Lake Mills, Ixonia, Waterloo, Helenville, Sullivan, Watertown and Jefferson.  Upon request, area farmers Dane Hartwig, Steve Shluter and Lloyd Holterman came in with large tractors and disk harrows to help dig up areas of vegetation and turn over soil.  A bulldozer from Weis Excavating of Johnson Creek also helped slice a fire break across the land downwind from the fire.

 

10 03       SETTLEMENT with former Asst Chief Michael Quint

The Watertown Common Council unanimously approved a settlement with former Assistant Fire Chief Michael Quint for $45,000 over a complaint Quint had filed in December 2010 against the city, former fire Chief Henry Butts and Mayor Ron Krueger.  Quint had alleged Butts sent hateful letters to various fire departments that were considering Quint for vacant fire chief positions after Quint and Butts signed a settlement in January of 2010 in which Quint voluntarily agreed to resign from the fire department.  Quint received nearly $60,000 in severance payments as part of the settlement.  Previously, in 2009, Quint filed a complaint against Butts alleging serious misconduct on Butt’s part.

 

As a condition of the first settlement, the city and Butts agreed a letter of reference from the mayor would be the sole reference from the city for Quint’s records.  The settlement also included a provision that stated both Butts and Quint would seek to avoid negative public comments about the other for the good of all parties.  The original complaint filed in December of 2010 said both Butts and Quint understood there may be separate causes of action for making such statements.

 

Quint later accused Butts of breaching the agreement by sending hateful letters to various fire departments across the county which were considering hiring Quint.  Quint had used DNA evidence from envelopes and soda cans to show that Butts was the person sending the letters.  Butts voluntarily resigned from his position on Nov. 30, 2010, amid an internal investigation of the fire department.

 

Quint’s complaint against the city, seeking almost $800,000 in damages, was denied by the Common Council in April of 2011.  Quint responded by filing a civil suit against the city in June of 2011 in Jefferson County Court.

 

10 13       OPEN HOUSE    Link to portfolio of pics

 

10 22          Special ride to school  

 

BOUGHTON ST. FIRE

12 04             Boughton St fire

Fire in second story bedroom of an apartment building at 1155 Boughton St, Unit 20; no injuries, but $20,000 in damage.  Firefighters found flames shooting out of a second floor window.  Bedroom was burnt out and other areas in the apartment were damaged by smoke and heat.  No injuries reported.   [image set CD_WHS_006 given to Fire Dept]   

 

12 08       WALTON ROAD FIRE [video clip] 

The Watertown Fire Department received a call of a barn fire at N111 Walton Road at 9:31 p.m.   The 40 feet by 50 feet barn was fully engulfed and burning rapidly when firefighters arrived on scene.  The barn was a complete loss and a home and several other buildings on the property were damaged by heat coming off the fire.  Investigators believe the fire was started by a torpedo heater being used in the barn.  14 Watertown firefighters responded to the fire and as well as several other area fire departments.  [image set CD_WHS_009 given to Fire Dept]

Before fire image    

 

12 11       NEW GRASS RIG 

  

 

-- --           RICHARD NIENOW

  

 

___ 2013 __________________

01 24       N9050 RIVER RD FIRE, [video clip].    Blaze in the basement knocked down in 10 mins.  Cause believed to be electrical.  $15,000-$20,000 damage.  Ixonia Fire Dept responded with mutual aid with engine, two tankers and manpower.

 

01 25       TOWN OF SHIELDS GARAGE FIRE, W9359 Garden Rd.  Fully engulfed and spread to nearby sheds.  Twelve departments responded.

 

01 31       BURLINGTON FIRE, Chief Michalek and engine company called upon to help battle.  Largest MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm Service) response in Wisconsin history. 

 

02 01       RAPPEL DOWN THE HOSE TOWER

  Assistant Chief Chad Butzine is the first volunteer to rappel down the hose tower while other firefighters look on. The department is spending time in the classroom and also learning first-hand how to rappel, belay, tie knots, find anchor points and build teamwork in order to train for ice rescues and ascending people from confined, lower spaces.  Rope rescue training requires firefighters to wear helmets, gloves, harnesses and good shoes.   [Slideshow of WDTimes images]

 

02 02       CADY ST FIRE, 213 W, [video clip]  

   A propane heater and delayed notification of fire led to the total loss of a house.  Fourteen departments assisted at the scene.   [Slideshow of WDTimes images]

 

02 17       1068 BOUGHTON GARAGE FIRE.    Illegal wood burning stove with faulty installation, $5,000 damage.

 

02 28       Firefighters Local 877 presented a check for $810 to Watertown Regional Medical Center for the Friend to Friend program. 

 

02 28       Firefighters rescued a wayward Labrador retriever who had ventured out on the Rock River.  West 4400 block of Riverview Rd.

04 02         Firefighters rappel down a nearly 45-foot-deep rock quarry using ropes and anchor points.

 

04 23       109 N. TENTH ST.  Structural fire.

                       

 

04 27       1911 GATEWAY DRIVE

Garage fire.    Owner tried to smoke squirrels out of garage and held the smoke bomb right up to the rafters, starting the fire.  Took about 5 minutes to knock down.

 

04 25       MOCK CRASH SCENE

    .Editor, Daily Times:  On behalf of the WHS Pledge of Excellence group, I would like to thank a number of people who were instrumental in presenting the Mock Crash Scene to the juniors and seniors on Thursday, April 25.  This event has been taking place every other year since 1997.  The first people on our list must be the fire department and EMS.  Assistant chief Kraig Biefeld took care of many of the details, while Lt. Layne Fohr, firefighters Brent Kurtz, Mason Taylor, Matt Pieper and Scott Umland were the men on the scene, showing the students what really happens at a car crash.  We cannot thank them enough . . . – Tammy Foerster and WHS Pledge of Excellence Group    WDT 05 02

 

04 29       STORY TIME JAMBOREE AT PUBLIC LIBRARY

  Dept. fields fire safety questions; equipment demo.

 

05 09       MORGANS ROADHOUSE BAR AND GRILL

in collaboration with River City Distributing, recently participated in a Guinness Gives Back promotion to raise funds for the Watertown Fire Department.  A total of $500 from a percentage of beverage sales and an event to learn how to pour Guinness from tap was donated to the fire department, which will be used for training and equipment.  The bar, located at 715 W. Main St., opened in January.  Pictured back row, Joe Kwapil of River City Distributing, Lt. Layne Fohr, firefighter/EMT Brent Kurtz and firefighter/paramedic Matt Pieper.  Front, bartender Kristen Unser, co-owner Craig Savage, fire Chief Greg Michalek and Assistant Chief Kraig Biefeld.  Not pictured is co-owner Tom Evert.

 

05 09       FISHER-BARTON FIRE

      Started by a furnace vent pipe.  $10,000-$15,000 damage.  Frederick St, Portion of building location of Village Blacksmith  

 

06 06       FIRE INSPECTION RESPONSIBILITY SHIFTED TO FIRE DEPT

The Watertown Finance Committee has approved shifting the responsibility of completing fire inspections for buildings in the city from the Building Safety and Zoning Departments to the Watertown Fire Department. 

 

“The number one reason was I’m responsible for all the fire inspections in the city by state law and a local ordinance and I had no authority over it,” Michalek said.  In addition to being responsible for conducting the inspections, Michalek said he wants to have six firefighters trained to complete the inspections by the middle of July. Currently the inspections are completed by Building Safety and Zoning Department Inspector Doug Zwieg.  Michalek added he would like to continue to use Zwieg as well as the firefighters to conduct the inspections.  “The firefighters already go out and do a pre-planning visit to every commercial building in the city, so they could complete the fire inspections at the same time.”  He added the inspections would also help firefighters become familiar with the buildings.

 

The city needs to complete approximately 918 fire inspections a year, with some 400 to 500 of those buildings require re-inspections every year.  The fire department would also complete fire inspections in the townships of Emmet, Watertown, Milford and Shields.

 

07 04       FIRE RUN TO 701 WILLOW CREEK PARKWAY

    Electrical; Malfunctioning dishwasher

 

07 11       LIGHTS N SIRENS EVENT at Riverside Park

 

08 09       FIRE AT 544 MILFORD ST.

    The department responded to a fire that started in the living room of the house. Two teenage children were home and sleeping when the fire ignited. They were able to escape the home safely.  The flames were contained to the living room, but smoke damage was reported throughout the home.  There were also two cats, two dogs and a boa constrictor snake inside the home at the time of the fire. All the animals made it out of the home safely.  The Johnson Creek, Beaver Dam and Ixonia fire departments also responded to the scene.  Approximately $35,000 in damage.  WDT

 

08 12       SHARES VEGETABLES WITH FIREFIGHTERS

Ramona Hackbarth plants a vegetable garden on the south side of town and shares the fruits of her labors with her neighbors and the firefighters at the municipal building.  Main Street bridge named for.

 

09 08       DETTMAN FARM FIRE, N7397 County N, Milford Township

   A farm building was deemed a total loss after an early morning fire just off of CTH N between I-94 and Grelton, the Tim Dettman farm N7397 County N.  The third major structure fire the Dettman farm operation has faced over the past decade.      WDTimes article 

 

09 29       501 N. FOURTH ST APARTMENT FIRE, Stacey's Bar

   The Watertown Fire Department responded at 2:02 a.m. for a report of a structure fire.  The back side of the building was fully engulfed with fire blowing out the back windows on the second floor when firefighters arrived on scene.  A 28-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly starting a fire in the apartments above Stacey's Bar that sent three people to the hospital.  Two people, one woman and one man, jumped from the second floor in the back of the building to escape the fire prior to firefighters arriving on scene.  The woman fell through the doors covering the steps leading into the basement of the bar and suffered an injury to her shoulder. The male who jumped suffered a broken leg.  Firefighters also rescued a male from an apartment in the front of the second floor.  The fire escalated to a third alarm with departments from Lake Mills, Clyman, Johnson Creek, Waterloo, Lebanon, Lake Mills EMS, Ixonia, Ryan Brothers, Juneau, Oconomowoc, Helenville, Sullivan, Jefferson, Reeseville, Rome and Juneau EMS responding to the blaze.  The rear apartments on the second floor were heavily damaged. The apartments and business on the first floor suffered smoke and water damage.

 

Awards:  Before the October 15 City Council meeting Fire Chief Greg Michalek presented Distinguished Service Medals to Assistant Chief Ralph Wandersee, Firefighter/EMT Brent Kurtz, Firefighter/Paramedic Chad Butler, Firefighter/EMT Brad Hering and Firefighter/ Paramedic Brad Fox for their service at the September 29, 2013 structure fire at 501 N. Fourth St; Unit Citation Awards to Assistant Chief Chad Butzine, Firefighter/ EMT Adam Fillmore and Firefighter/EMT Taylor Heinzel, Firefighter/EMT Jay Blasé and Firefighter Dwain Trewyn.  Mayor David expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to all the firefighters for the job well done at this fire.

 

10 03       N8482 COUNTY HIGHWAY X.  Town of Watertown

    An early morning fire in the town of Watertown brought out 20 area fire departments and caused an estimated $100,000 in damage to a single-family home.  The fire apparently started on the outside porch of the home from a discarded cigarette.  Blaze caused extensive damage to the second floor bedroom, first floor living room and dining room.  The family of four was home at the time of the fire, but everyone was able to escape the house without injuries.   WDTimes article,   WDTimes image portfolio 

 

10 08       St. HENRY’S 4-K CLASS FIELD TRIP TO FIRE STATION

    

 

10 15       FRIEND TO FRIEND OF WATERTOWN FUNDRAISER

Editor, Daily Times:  Watertown Fire Department Local 877 members hosted a brat and hot dog sale at the fire department’s open house on Oct. 5 to raise money for Friend to Friend of Watertown.  This program helps fund mammograms for women in need.  We would especially like to thank both Johnsonville of Watertown and Brownberry Bread of Oconomowoc for the donations of brats, hot dogs and buns.  With their help we were able to kick start our annual fundraiser and raise over $400.  Along with the brat and hot dog sale Local 877 is selling “pink gear” throughout the month of October, all proceeds go toward Friend to Friend.  – Watertown Fire Department Local No. 877 members.

 

11 07       GARAGE FIRE, 701 N. Church

     Detached garage fire knocked down within minutes

 

11 13       LIFE SAVING MEDALS / REPLACEMENT OF HEAVY EQUIPMENT SQUAD

Common Council Proceeding: Fire Chief Greg Michalek presented Fire Department Life Saving Medals to Rescue 1 (FF Pieper & Taylor) and Engine 1 (Lt. Fohr, FF Kurz, and FF/pm Esmeier).  These were awards presented for the crew's quick efforts on April 27, 2013 which resulted in Mr. David P. Smith being able to make a full recovery from the event.  Fire Chief also presented Life Saving Awards to Rescue 1 (FF Fox & Adams) and Engine 2 (Lt. Riggs, FF's Hering and Butler) for/their quick efforts on September 3, 2013 to save Mrs. Edna Delair and allow her to make a full recovery.  Mayor David expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Fire Fighters and Police Officers for the jobs well done at these incidents.

 

Discussion. 4. Discuss Fire Department apparatus repair.  Due to the age of the Heavy Equipment Squad and/the cost of repairs, the Finance Committee felt it was reasonable to not repair this vehicle and plan for its replacement.  Motion was made and seconded to not repair the vehicle.

 

12 12       SMOKE DAMAGES 1006 PLEASANT STREET HOME

At the time of construction the foundation under the front porch was never filled in.  A piece of plywood was placed under it and after a while the plywood dropped down about seven feet into the ground.  There was a crack into the top of the porch and cigarettes were falling down through it and one of the cigarettes ignited the plywood on fire.  The family had no idea the board was down there.  It has probably been in the ground for 40 years.  The smoke from the burning plywood pushed into the house through the basement, causing minor smoke damage.  Firefighters had to punch out the cinder blocks on either side of the porch to get at the fire.

  WHS portfolio of images;   WDTimes portfolio of images.

 

12 19       FIRE FROM SNOWMOBILE WORK DAMAGES GARAGE  /  730 Crestview Drive

Flames were knocked down quickly before they could spread to the home, which was attached to the garage.  A father and son were replacing a fuel line on a snowmobile in the garage when some fuel was spilled.  Both the father and son had some singed hair and smoke on their faces. But they were examined at the scene and both refused medical transport.  The home sustained some smoke damage.  The garage sustained structure damage.

   WDTimes portfolio of images

 

___ 2014 __________________

01 20       LIFE-SAVING MEDAL PRESENTATION 

                  Firefighters and paramedics for a call they responded to on Sept. 6, 2013, for a pulseless, non-breathing patient.  The quick response and skills performed on this patient saved his life and allowed for a full recovery.  L-R: firefighter-paramedic Scott Kreilkamp, firefighter-paramedic Jim Acker, Lt. Tim Gordon, firefighter Greg Wellach and firefighter-paramedic John Duvernell.

 

01 22       2014 FIRE PROTECTION AND EMS AGREEMENT / NEW AMBULANCE

The council approved a 2014 fire protection and EMS agreement with the towns of Emmet, Milford, Shields and Watertown.  The townships will pay $186,222.54 based on applying the same tax rate paid by residents and business of the city of Watertown.  That breaks down to $28,304.33 from the town of Shields, $47,340.23 from the town of Emmet, $26,122.62 from the town of Milford and $88,898.25 from the town of Watertown.  Fire Chief Greg Michalek said the agreement is similar to previous agreements but did add $6,000 to the cost. He added that cost was split across the four townships. 

 

Approved a resolution to purchase an ambulance from Jefferson Fire and Safety of Middleton for $193,498.40.

 

02 17       TWO VEHICLE FIRES DURING SUBZERO WEATHER

All-terrain vehicle in garage on 500 block of Milford St. and vehicle fire in driveway on 200 block of Bonner St.

 

03 04       ASSISTANT CHIEF RALPH WANDERSEE RETIRES

The Watertown Fire Department has announced Assistant Fire Chief Ralph Wandersee will retire on March 13 after working for the city for 30 years.  Wandersee has been with the department since Oct. 31, 1984.  Wandersee held every position in the department except for fire chief.

 

03 08       LIEUTENANT AND ASSISTANT CHIEF POSITIONS.  Common Council Proceedings

Fire Chief Greg Michalek was present to discuss changes he would like in the Fire Department Lieutenant and Assistant Chief positions.  After discussion and explanation of these changes, motion was made by Alderperson Romlein, seconded by Alderperson Tietz to approve this change in job descriptions and passed unanimously. 

 

REVIEW DISCONTINUING USE OF A PRIVATE BILLING COMPANY

Chief Michalek was again present to ask the Finance Committee to discontinue use of a private billing company and bring the billing in-house. With the training for staff and the software, there would still be substantial savings to the city in doing this. There was some discussion and questions by the Finance Committee. Motion was made by Alderperson Tietz, seconded by Alderperson Romlein to continue to pursue the ability to do the billing for EMS & Fire services internally, by the Fire Department and passed unanimously.

 

LIFE SAVING MEDALS / UNIT CITATIONS

Mayor David introduced Fire Chief Michalek to present Life Saving Medals to the crew of Rescue 1 (Firefighter/ Paramedic Scott Umland and Firefighter/Paramedic Kyle Esmeier) and the crew of Engine 2 (Assistant Chief Chad Butzine, Firefighter/Paramedic Mason Tayler and Firefighter/ Paramedic Matt Pieper for their efforts that resulted in saving the life of a man down and not breathing at the bowling alley at 766 N. Church Street. Chief Michalek also presented Unit Citations to the crew of Rescue 1 (Firefighter/Paramedic Brad Fox, Firefighter/Paramedic William Adams) and the crew of Engine 2 (Assistant Fire Chief Ralph Wandersee, Firefighter/ Paramedic Chad Butler, and Firefighter/EMT Brad Hering) for their efforts that resulted in saving the life of a female that had attempted suicide. Mayor David congratulated all present for their efforts. 

 

03 12       GARAGE FIRE, 507 S. Washington     Caused by an overloaded electrical circuit inside the detached garage.

 

03 20       GORDON PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF

       Tim Gordon, formerly a lieutenant, will be replacing retired assistant fire chief Ralph Wandersee.  Wandersee retired on March 13 after working for the department for 30 years.  Gordon has been with the Watertown Fire Department for almost 20 years. He also worked as a firefighter in Milwaukee for four years prior to joining the Watertown Department.  The other assistant fire chiefs on staff include Chad Butzine, Keith Becken and Kraig Biefeld.

 

03 27       FIRE PREVENTION GRANT

   The Watertown Fire Department has received a $1,500 fire prevention grant from FM Global, a commercial property insurer.  The award will be used to assist with pre-fire planning to efficiently collect and track data related to local community buildings.  The information will help the fire service respond in an emergency situation.   Through its Fire Prevention Grant Program, FM Global awards grants quarterly to fire departments — as well as national, state, regional, local and community organizations worldwide — that best demonstrate a need for funding, where dollars can have the most demonstrable impact on preventing fire or mitigating the damage it can quickly cause.

 

04 14       OFFICER’S QUICK ACTION HELPS RESIDENTS ESCAPE

No one was injured in a small fire at the Washington Inn, 516 E. Main St.  Officer Scott Kind was at the hotel at approximately 10 p.m. doing a verification check at the inn when he smelled smoke in the building, followed the smoke to a room that was unoccupied, alerted the fire department and other police officers and began an evacuation.  The building did not have a fire alarm system; there was a smoke detector in the room where the fire began, but it was not working at the time of the fire. A smoke detector in the hallway was working.  It is believed that the fire was started by a candle on the floor next to the sofa in the room.  Emergency officials also evacuated the Firecracker Pub which shares a building with the Washington Inn.    Video Clip  

 

04 18       DSPS RECOGNIZES DEPT.

 

The Wisconsin Department of Safety & Professional Services (DSPS) visited the Watertown Fire Department.  The DSPS recognizes that the men and women of the department are dedicated to protecting the lives and safety of the citizens of Watertown.

 

04 27       WIND AND POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO BUILDING FAÇADE

      Wind and potential damage to building façade, especially 300 E Main (former Book World).

The Watertown Fire Department responded Sunday at 1:45 p.m. to the intersection of East Main and South Third streets to help the city take down the banner hung across the street after it was reported the high winds were damaging the siding of the buildings the banner was hung from. 

 

04 29       STORYTIME JAMBOREE

    Watertown Public Library event

 

05 07       CHAD BUTLER PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT

   Fire Chief Greg Michalek said Chad Butler has been promoted to lieutenant and will be transferring to the B shift starting Friday.  Butler previously worked as a firefighter/paramedic with the A shift.  Butler will be replacing Tim Gordon, who was promoted to assistant chief in March to replace the retired Ralph Wandersee.

 

05 12       STORM CAUSES PARTIAL ROOF COLLAPSE / Demolition of 223 W Main

    video       Portfolio of images 

A three-story building on the corner of West Main and South Washington streets was torn down Monday after being deemed unstable by the Watertown Fire Department following a partial collapse of the building’s roof during Monday’s storms.  Caused by water pooling on the roof and the high winds during the storm.  Weight of the debris from the roof then caved in the floor of the third story and piled onto the floor of the second story.  The building was empty at the time of the collapse.  Firefighters also evacuated the Why Not Bar and a second floor apartment next door at 221 W. Main St.

 

    TMJ video   

 

06 02       DEPARTMENT CONTAINS PETROLEUM-BASED LIQUID ON ROCK RIVER

Portfolio of images 

 

06 04       SECOND FLUID SPILL IN ROCK RIVER IN THREE DAYS

WDTimes article;  WDTimes portfolio of images  

 

06 04       CIVIL WAR-ERA CANNONBALL found in resident’s yard

   The Watertown Fire Department was called on June 4th and they contacted Milwaukee’s Bomb Squad.  The cannonball was made of brass, and contained gun powder.  It was about three-and-one-fourth inches wide, and weighed about five pounds.  The cannonball was detonated in the city’s quarry.   WDTimes story  

 

06 07       1334 COLONIAL DRIVE

Garage fire caused by heat lamp

 

07 02       LIFESAVING AWARDS

The common council recognized several citizens and firefighters with lifesaving awards for a call on May 5 at Piggly Wiggly where there was a man without a pulse and not breathing.  Citizen bystanders Andrea Olson and Cathleen Gurnee, a registered nurse at Watertown Regional Medical Center, provided CPR to the man until firefighters arrived.  The crew who arrived consisted of firefighter/EMT Wes Jahnke, Lt. Layne Fohr and Assistant Fire Chief Chad Butzine.  The patient has now made a full recovery and is doing well.  Due to overlapping calls at the time another crew to assist them was not available.

 

07 08       LIGHTS N SIRENS ANNUAL EVENT     Image Portfolio 

 

07 21       BEGIN IN-HOUSE BILLING

Council Proceedings:  Exhibit #8067, to authorize the Fire Department to begin in-house billing on September 1, 2014 for EMS Services, with a checking account to be opened at JPMorgan Chase Bank was presented.  Carried on a roll call vote: Yes – 9. No – none.

 

07 23       307 E MAIN CALL

   Equipment malfunction caused smoke.     Image Portfolio 

 

08 08       818 E MAIN STRUCTURAL FIRE

      Image Portfolio     

 

08 12       FIRE DEPARTMENT HONOREES

From left, firefighter/paramedics Scott Kreilkamp and Tanya Reynen and firefighter/EMT-B Greg Wellach were recently awarded life saving medals for their actions during a June 21 incident where they helped to save the life of a man who fell and had suffered what were at the time life-threatening injuries.

 

11 18       TWO NEW FULLTIME FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDICS

Lucas Vogt started at the department on June 25. He has his associate degree in fire protection technician from Waukesha County Technical College and is from both Hartford and Lake Country fire departments.  Dave Kruser started on Nov. 5 and has received his education from MATC Madison and Mercy Regional EMS in Janesville. Kruser is a former member of the Fitchburg Fire Department.  Vogt is filling a vacant firefighter/paramedic position due to promotions and Kruser is filling a firefighter/paramedic position vacated by William Adams, whom was hired in the city of Madison.

 

11 21       JEFFERSON ROAD FIRE

  

 

12 19       PRACTICE SCBA SKILLS

  

 

12 21       1118 RIVER DRIVE EXPLOSION AND HOUSE FIRE of 12 21 2014

         Portfolio of images 

Watertown firefighters responded at 7:23 a.m. to 1118 River Drive for a reported explosion and subsequent fire; the back of the house had been blown out.  Firefighters could not enter the building initially due to structural concerns, and the fire caused the roof to collapse.  The house will need to be torn down.  Five fire departments from surrounding areas were at the scene assisting.  Nobody in the house at the time of the explosion.

 

08 02 2019 - FOLLOW UP: WATERTOWN MAN CONVICTED OF ARSON IN HOME EXPLOSION

 

A former Watertown man, with an address listed at the Oshkosh Correctional Institution where he is serving time for stalking causing injury, was convicted in Jefferson County Circuit Court on one count each of burglary, domestic abuse and arson.  The arson conviction comes following a 2014 home explosion and fire in Watertown.  According to a criminal complaint in the matter, Craig S. Lillge, 40, formerly of Watertown, burglarized the home of his ex-girlfriend in Watertown and activated a gas valve, leading to the home’s explosion and subsequent fire. The home was a total loss.

 

Watertown’s then-fire Chief Greg Michalek said when firefighters arrived on the scene the back of the house had been blown out. Firefighters could not enter the building initially, due to structural concerns. The fire caused the roof to collapse. He said the house would need to be torn down. There was nobody in the house at the time of the explosion.

 

___ 2015 __________________

01 19       HAZARDOUS WASTE SPILL / LIFE SAVING AWARDS

The council will vote on the second reading of an ordinance to give the Watertown fire chief or authorized representative authority to bill those responsible for a hazardous waste spill for the cleanup of that waste.

 

Watertown Fire Department Life Saving Awards for Lt. Ken Riggs, Scott Umland, Brad Fox, Matt Pieper and Brad Hering for an emergency response where the above individuals resuscitated a patient believed to be having a heart attack and was found without a pulse and not breathing.  The patient is expected to make a complete recovery.

 

01 21       HIGH ROAD CHIMNEY FIRE

N8128 High Road fire confined to the chimney.

 

02 14       SPUNCAST: COMPRESSOR OVERHEATED

               

 

02 20       232 FREMONT ST. CHIMNEY FIRE

     Image Portfolio     

 

02 26       WHAT’S WITH THE CROWD?

Editor, Daily Times:

 

Many times we arrive on an emergency medical call to initiate patient care and are asked, “What’s with so many people?”

 

When someone calls 911 with a medical emergency the dispatchers (person you talk to) will ask you if the patient is having any trouble breathing, chest pain, is conscious or unresponsive. These are key words for us as responders to get an idea of how sick our patient may be. If our patient is very sick it is important that we have as many hands on deck as quickly as possible in these types of situations. 10 hands many times work much faster than just 4.

 

Oftentimes there are paramedics staffing the fire engine that day as well. This allows for more assistance in patient care such as starting IVs, pushing important medications, assisting in maintaining our patient’s airway. The engine company will also assist in carrying in appropriate medical equipment, getting the cot ready; assist in lifting/moving the patient; all of which saves time critical to patient outcome.

 

Not only does the engine respond to EMS calls, but the ambulance responds to many fire incidents as well. Every member of the fire department is “cross trained” which means that we are all firefighters and some level of EMT. When there is a fire incident the ambulance crew has fire fighting gear and breathing apparatus on the ambulance so they are ready to assist immediately. The ambulance crew will then act as firefighters and complete any task assigned from command.

 

Tanya Reynen, marketing committee, Watertown Fire Department

 

03 02       115 N. WASHINGTON

Apartment fire, electrical, contained to attic, $5000 damage

 

03 30       ACKER/FOX, EMT/FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR

Jim Acker, left, received a certificate for EMT of the Year, while Brad Fox received a certificate for Firefighter of the Year at the 67th Birthday Banquet of American Legion Post No. 189 on March 14.

  

 

04 09       NUMBER OF RUNS IN 2014 / MABAS / SAFER GRANT

The total number of runs in 2014 by the Watertown Fire Department was 2,369, with 579 of them being fire runs and 1,790 being EMS runs. This total number of runs is about 21.8 percent higher than in 2001, with almost twice as many fire calls.  Some of the increase in fire calls is due to the advent of the MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System).  MABAS was created by the Wisconsin State Legislature in 2006 as a mutual aid measure that deploys fire, rescue and emergency medical service personnel in a multijurisdictional or multi-agency response. The end result is a more comprehensive response, but that also places more calls on individual fire stations.

 

The city itself had a reduction in its fire department paid staff in the wake of the 2008 recession.  At the time, the department had 25 full-time employees. It currently has 22.  As part of its efforts to address the city's staffing concerns, the Watertown Fire Department has applied for the SAFER Grant.  The SAFER Grant would increase each shift by one staff member, bringing two shifts to a full crew of eight and a third shift to seven.

 

04 25       PROVIDER OF THE YEAR AWARD, Dodge County EMS banquet

  

 

04 28       MOCK PROM CRASH SCENARIO, Watertown High School

         

 

04 29       EMERGENCY SIREN UPGRADE, South and Benton streets

          

 

05 06       BRANDON WOJNOWSKI, a new full-time firefighter/ paramedic

Brandon Wojnowski, 23, began working with the department on March 11.  He comes to Watertown with six years of experience with Tess Corners Fire Department, first as a volunteer and then as a member of that department’s part-time staff for both fire and EMS.  Wojnowski went to Waukesha County Technical College for his firefighting certification and attended paramedic school at Gateway Technical College.  He began his career volunteering at Tess Corners Fire Department, and had started taking fire classes while still in high school.  He said his dad has been in fire service for 30 years, also beginning as a volunteer but is now a fire chief in Greendale.

 

05 06       NAMED 2014 DODGE COUNTY EMS SERVICE OF THE YEAR

 

Assistant Fire Chief Kraig Biefeld said the Dodge County EMS Association gave the award for reasons like the department’s 1,500 hours of continuing education in EMS and a save rate of 43.8 percent, more than four times the national average of 10.4 percent. 

 

The Watertown Fire Department has been providing EMS service to the city of Watertown and portions of Dodge County since 1975.  In 1993 the Watertown Fire Department became the first paramedic level service in Dodge County to offer paramedic intercept service to EMS agencies in Dodge County.  Aside from the high save rate, other accomplishments of the department in 2014 include paramedics becoming certified as Pre-Hospital Emergency Pediatric Providers (PEPP), license renewal for all EMS personnel and the purchase of a new ambulance.

 

05 11       JOHNSONVILLE FOODS FIRE

 

Firefighters responded at 12:57 a.m. on 05/10 to Johnsonville Sausage, 104 E. Division St., for a structure fire.  When firefighters arrived on the scene smoke was coming from the building and fire was seen on the roof.  The fire caused extensive damage inside the building.  The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries.  The blaze was under control in about an hour.

 

Johnsonville sausage makers use downtime productively  

Workers at destroyed Johnsonville plant still paid, learn power of volunteering  

 

05 13       BAKKEN CRUDE OIL RAIL RESPONSE CONSIDERATIONS

Council Proceedings, 04 21 2015   ///  Presentation regarding Fire Department readiness:  Assistant Fire Chief Biefeld was present in the absence of Chief Michalek to show a video and explain the various things regarding the Bakken Crude Oil Rail Response Considerations.  There are a growing number of concerns regarding the number of Crude Oil Tankers that are traveling through our City.  Assistant Chief Biefeld showed several different videos and explained the different types of preparedness and things that would take place in the event of an unforeseen derailment happening in or near Watertown.    Council Proceedings, 04 21 2015

 

06 01       PERRY ST. HOUSE FIRE

A mother and her two children (9 months and 2 years old) escaped a 1:59 a.m. fire at their home at 1041 Perry St., after being awakened by a fire alarm and barking dog.  Prior to the arrival of the fire department the woman had thrown her children out of a window to a police officer and then jumped out of the window herself to safety.

 

06 16       LOCATION OF ANOTHER FIRE STATION

Review Fire Station Analysis Executive Summary.  Fire Chief Michalek was present to discuss the conclusions of the analysis that was done on the location of another Fire Station within the City.  The study is recommending a site on Dayton Street for a second Fire Station.  It is located in an area in which we have many calls to and is also quite a distance from the Central Fire Station in the middle of our City.  Chief Michalek noted that our fire responses are up 100% since 2002.  In April of this year 29% of our calls were multiple calls for service, more than one call at a time.  Monthly, we are around 21% of our calls being multiple calls.  It would give us better response time if we had another location, especially for EMS calls which are going up substantially every month and annually.  This information was provided by the Chief for the Alderpersons to think about.  This will be coming back in the future for further discussion concerning another Fire Station in the City of Watertown.    Council Proceedings

 

06 16       PAGING SYSTEM BID

(same date) Review& approve Fire Department Paging System bid.  The current Paging System at the Fire Department is over 25 years old.  In the Budget for 2015 a new Paging System was approved.  $ 26,000.00 was budgeted.  The Chief did receive two bids for the System.  The low bidder was Scan Am, at$ 25,993.00. APS also put in a bid of$ 30,540.97.  There was discussion concerning the Paging System.  The Chief explained that this is an in- building paging system.  It will page out firefighters from all areas of the building.  Not only within the Fire Department and the Apparatus Floor, but in the dorm room, workout room, the basement offices, all these areas have to be covered by the paging system.  It also allows the firefighters to respond back verbally to the Dispatch Center.  Motion was made by Alderperson Larsen to recommend the purchase from Scan Am, seconded by Mayor David and passed unanimously.    Council Proceedings

 

07 07       LIGHTS N SIRENS ANNUAL EVENT