After 29 years in Wisconsin fire services, Lake Country Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief Matthew Haerter will retire in November. “I write you with a heart full of thanks and humility announcing my retirement effective 1 November 2025. I have been blessed to have over 29 years in the Wisconsin fire service which began prior to that as a volunteer in Illinois and will now continue here in my hometown of Rome,” Haerter said.
Haerter said the outpouring of support when K-9 Tesla died will remain “one of the most valued experiences of my career.” Haerter was Teslaโs handler and posted about her death in April. On a flight to Phoenix in 2024, Haerter was called to action when a fellow passenger experienced a significant medical problem. “We had been in the air for about 45 minutes or so, โฆ one of the flight attendants ran down the aisle with an oxygen tank with a mask attached to it, which I obviously thought was a bit odd,” Haerter shared. “Just reading her body language, you could tell that something wasnโt right.” Haerter began to treat the situation with what the airline kept on board.
