VIDEO: Put yourself in the shoes of a firefighter responding to a burning building. Imagine the courage it takes to stand against that fire, and the danger it presents to your life. Well, one firefighter, Carl Herman, has stood courageously for the last 70 years, choosing again and again to take on calls much like that.
Itโs a decision Herman says heโd make all over again, a decision he made as a child working on his parentsโ farm. โThere was one neighbor that used to come buy milk all the time, that was a fireman with Calcium, and so he got me more or less interested in joining,โ said Carl Herman.
Herman has played an integral role in developing the Northpole Fire Company in the Town of Pamelia, where he has spent the majority of his time as a previous fire company president, fire chief, and board member.
Herman says heโs seen many fires, the most challenging of which was an infamous fire at Sacred Heart Church several decades ago. โAt the time it burnt, it was cold. We laid hoses from the monastery on Thompson Street all the way down and hit the fire from the back, and this was probably about 10 oโclock at night. Come morning, our hose was all frozen to the ice,โ said Herman.
For 65 years, Herman has been married to his wife, Lois, who says that it wasnโt always easy. โOnce he left the house, I never knew what was happening until he walked back in the door, sleepless nights,โ said Lois Herman. For Hermanโs daughters, itโs all they know. โWhen the pager went off, you knew to freeze and get out of dadโs way because he was running down the cellar to get his boots and stuff at the bottom of the stairs,โ said Lisa Tyo. Despite those challenges, the Herman family says they couldnโt be prouder of Carl.
