Retired chief looks back at 36 years of joy, sorrow

NEW BREMEN - Fighting fires has been a way of life for Bob Kuck.

However, he is entering a different phase after retiring as chief from the New Bremen German Township Fire Department.

Kuck had served the department for 36 years, 22 as chief.

"I got started because my dad was in the fire service. He got me interested in it, and it just kept me driving through. I have two boys now who are on the department. I guess I instilled the fire service into them a little bit too," Kuck said, chuckling.

The department lost a great deal of seniority when Kuck and three other veteran firefighters recently retired. Also stepping down were 25-year veteran Dale Heitkamp, 21-year vet Mike Conradi and 17-year veteran Rob Ziegenbusch. That meant the department will have lost 97 years of experience by the end of the year.

"We lost a lot of years of seniority," Kuck acknowledged. "It hurts, but that's why you keep bringing young guys on again."

Regrouping as a department means recruiting year-round is necessary to maintain department manpower. Kuck noted that the department is in a down cycle with few people wanting to give up the time required to do the job.

"But in a few years down the road, it'll turn back around, and you'll have plenty of people wanting to do it again," he said.

Kuck said he remembers the accomplishments and the bad times as chief. The many good days were when he helped people experiencing real hardship.

"You are there when people need your help. It's more or less a thankless job because they never thank you because they're having the worst day of their lives when you are there," he said. "Even a minor car accident for most people, that's still a very bad day for them. If there is anything we can do to help them through, that's what you live for, basically."

Kuck also remembers the bad days. One stands out in stark contrast as the worst.

"My toughest day was obviously, Oct. 1, 2003, when the silo explosion happened and we lost two firefighters. That was by far the toughest day. There have been other fires that have been more challenging, but overall, that has to be the toughest day when you lose firemen," Kuck said. The incident at Hoge Lumber Co. in New Knoxville, when the New Bremen crew responded to a mutual aid call. A dust explosion inside a wood storage silo left two firefighters dead.

"It was a rough day, not having them come home," Kuck related. "Not that we did anything wrong, it was just a wrong-place/wrong-time type of situation."

The incident helped Kuck to focus on what he could control. Making training for the firefighters a top priority. Under Kuck's direction, his department advanced to earn a class 3 rating, up from class 6 when he took over. The ratings determine residents' insurance rates in the service area. Only 10 percent of all fire departments in the nation are rated class 3 or better. He acknowledged the increased training helped as well as the dispatch center and the village water situation.

Kuck began with the department at age 22, following his father and uncle into service. He has since been joined by his oldest two sons, Andrew and Eric. Living beside the firehouse over the years has helped to fuel their desire too, but mostly he likes helping people in their time of need.

"Helping other in their time of need really has made it all worthwhile," he said. "Just being there when someone needs help, it more or less, became my hobby and my passion. I quit all the other things I used to. I used to bowl, but I gave that up and put all my time and effort into the firehouse.

Now that he is retired, he admits that his days haven't seemed to slow down.

"It really doesn't seem like it has slowed down at all," he said. "I've found other hobbies to do, so I really haven't noticed the free time yet."