Two new firefighters have been hired for the Pipestone Volunteer Fire Department.
The Pipestone City Council approved, July 6, the department’s recommendation to hire Ben Karels, 25, and Justin Olsen, 25.
Karels was assigned to the department’s hose company, Olsen to hook and ladder.
Both men attended their first meeting, July 7, and received their pager and their gear: pants, coat, boots, gloves, helmut, flashlight, etc.
“It was pretty exciting,” Karels said.
They both then witnessed the practice burn the department conducted at an old farmhouse south of Jasper Wednesday, July 8.
“The fire was burning at 1600 degrees,” Karels said, with a bit of incredulity on his face.
The department advertised back in March for the vacancies created when three firefighters retired: Ivan Evink, Randy Allen and Ron DeSchepper.
Aside from some retirement benefits after 20 years of service, the men do not receive any monetary compensation for the voluntary position.
“Just the thrill of being a firefighter,” said Pipestone Fire Chief Mark Otter.
Money was of course not the motivation for either of the new firefighters.
“I’ve always wanted to do this,” Karels said. “Helping people. Saving their lives; saving their property.”
Karels, the son of Brad and Sandy Karels, has lived in Pipestone since he was three except for a few years away for college. He currently works as a supervisor at Ellison Meat Co.
Olsen, son of Gary and Marcine, works with his father at Olsen Electric. He and his wife, Jodie, have three children: Brenna, 6, Jordyn, 3 and Londyn, 5 months.
Olsen, who is also a member of the Minnesota National Guard, said he could not have applied for the position without his wife’s encouragement.
“I’m already not here most of the time and she said I should do it,” he said. “It’s a new challenge; a chance to give back to the community. And with the kids, it’s not like I sleep anyway.”
Though the job may be voluntary, the hiring process is discriminating.
“It’s quite a process,” Otter said.
Applicants must first pass an interview with a dozen or so veteran firefighters. Those who do then advance to a physical at Pipestone County Medical Center, followed by a physical agility test that includes running up seven flights of stairs in little more than a minute; sitting in a small dark room for five minutes without getting claustrophobic; dragging a charged fire hose 100 feet; and dragging a 100-pound dummy 100-feet backwards by its arms.
In addition, the firefighter must live within five minutes of the Fire Hall, which means about a two-mile radius, Otter said.
Though the men will be expected to respond to calls and suit up, they won’t physically fight fires until they’ve completed the 130 hours of classes required for their Firefighter I and II certificates. The training begins in October and will be hosted in Pipestone.
