Thom Thielen admitted that he can’t really tell you what it was that made him want to be a firefighter other than the fact that he ran around with Gary Lalor in high school. Since Gary’s dad, Archie Lalor, was the fire chief at the time, he sort of just caught the firefly bug.
Since joining the Eagle Grove Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter all those years ago, he said undoubtedly equipment advancements has been the biggest change he’s seen.
“Back when I started we wore rubber raincoats that literally would melt to your back if you got too close to the heat,” he recalled.
He said that when the EGFD got positive pressure fans, that was a big deal. Their purpose was to put pressure inside a burning/smoldering building to clean out the heat and smoke so the firefighters could enter more safely and see better. Just think about what it must have been like for these volunteers before this piece of equipment.
Then, of course, there was the addition of air packs.
“When I first started, nobody wore air packs. We didn’t know what they were,” said Thielen.
“Now, we don’t even go to a car fire without those air packs.”
Thielen said it’s been very rewarding to be a part of such an amazing department and would encourage others to think about joining, but admits there are some sacrifices you have to be willing to make.
“You need a family that’s understanding because it takes a lot of your time,” said Thielen.
Not all of that time, however, is spent actually fighting fires or responding to other emergencies. A good portion of time is simply spent on training, but that’s a very important part of the job..
“We put in this time for our own health and safety,” explained Theilen.
One more important aspect of the job that he shared…being committed.
“Archie alway preached, ‘If you’re on, you’re on,’” said Thielen. “You don’t just come to a fire when you want. It’s not like a club that you come and go as you want. You have to make a commit to it.”
Of course, people go out of town or have days they need to be off, and that’s okay, but you need to be a reliable part of the team.
“When they call us we usually get 22 or 23 people respond,” he said.
At their last fire meeting, the crew of Eagle Grove firefighters presented Thielen with a plaque for his years of dedication and service.
“I kind of surprised them that night telling them I was going to retire as of January 1, 2021,” said Thielen.
But before he retires from the department, he wants to make sure the business community knows how grateful he and the entire department are for their support.
“We have been really lucky all the business and industries in town have been very receptive about letting (their employees are are ) firefighters go when there is a call,” said Thielen. “They have also been supportive with monetary donations. We have a really good working relationship with the community.”
While Thielen is ready to have more free time, there is no doubt he will miss his firehouse family and serving the community.
“I have really enjoyed all the people I have met over the years,” Thielen concluded.
