During my husband’s time as a volunteer firefighter in the small town of Curtis, he and his fellow brothers and sisters have responded to countless tragedies — car accidents, snowmobile crashes, and ATV rollovers. Some of those stories ended in hope, many did not.
They’ve given up holidays and family time to direct traffic, stand by for fireworks, and wave proudly in parades. But behind those moments are the ones few people see:
• Pulling a childhood friend’s lifeless body from the lake.
• Telling the assistant chief that his own brother died in a car crash.
• Recovering the fire chief’s mother and uncle from a fatal house fire.
• Falling through the ice themselves while trying to rescue a local snowmobiler on dangerous winter ice.
These are not just stories — they are scars. They are the quiet burdens carried by men and women who serve not for pay, not for glory, but out of love for their community. Many relive these moments in their minds, haunted by the “what ifs” and “if onlys.”
They are volunteers.
And yet, at a recent Portage Township Board meeting, their service was compared to grooming snowmobile trails. With respect to all acts of community volunteerism — which should be honored — there is simply no comparison.
These firefighters are extraordinary. They are heroes. And I am proud to call them my family.
Julie Wiegand
Portage Township resident
Proud wife of a volunteer firefighter
