Fire Department
Department
The Kohler Volunteer Fire Department, founded in1914, consists of active firefighters, and business/social members.
The active firefighters drill/practice 2 times per month, usually on the 1st and 3rd Mondays between the hours of 6 pm. and 8 pm. In addition, on the 4th Monday of most months a business/social meeting is held. Periodically there are special training exercises scheduled on other days to meet the needs of the organization.
The Kohler Fire Department provides, Fire, Emergency Medical, Heavy-Duty Extrication, Water/Ice Rescue, Public Education and Fire Prevention Services to the Village of Kohler and some adjacent communities.
New active members expecting to fight fire are required to participate in State required Entry Level Firefighter training of ~60 hours in their first 12-18 months of employment to bring themselves to a proper level of firefighting knowledge and skill unless they have been previously qualified.
Members attending state required training needed for their position on the fire department are compensated and invited but not required to attend regularly scheduled monthly fire department drills while in training.
Active firefighters are provided access to web-based applications for use on smart phones/devices and a pager, which notifies them of calls for service for which we are requested. Active members usually respond on a 7 day a week and 24 hour a day frequency as they are available. Our philosophy is “family & work come first” and as such, it is understood that certain family circumstances, work activities and personal matters will sometimes conflict with Fire Department schedules, not permitting participation at practices, alarms and social functions.
Firefighters are paid for training exercises and emergency responses they participate in. Records of attendance are maintained, and a one-time payment for these occurrences is made each year.
Every firefighter is issued a complete set of protective gear and trained in its use. All firefighters are expected to make a reasonable effort to attend practices, respond to emergencies, participate in equipment checks and other duties related to their position in our organization. All Active members hired are automatically eligible to be enrolled in our Business Unit.
Many other activities can present themselves over the course of the year, such as a spouses/significant others appreciation dinner usually held in winter, Holiday activities near Christmas, Parade requests from our school or other fire departments, small fund-raising opportunities including food preparation & beverage sales in Ravine Park for the 4th of July or other food and beverage sales during the year as deemed appropriate by the business unit membership. Spirited competitions with other departments which range from cooking competitions, water fighting, and ladder golf have also taken place during the year.
The Kohler Fire Department is a unique blend of individuals from diverse backgrounds which work together to save lives and protect property. They also enjoy good fellowship and fun of each other’s company. We welcome any Kohler resident, 18 years or older who may be interested in gaining knowledge on joining our group, to reach out to the Chief of the Fire Department, or reach out to any active or social member with any questions you may have regarding the department, and how to join.