Winter 2019-20 Hometown Messenger

PUBLIC SAFETY CORNER

Firefighter retires after 37 years with department

At 22 years old, Dave Judd took his first tour of the Shakopee Fire Department. “I tried on the gear and I was sold,” Judd said. Thirty-seven years later, Judd retired from the

Photo courtesy: Dann Kasallis Photography Dave Judd

department in August, having

Join the Shakopee fire family Fire Department to seek candidates this winter When Danielle Heier attended the Shakopee Fire Department’s recruitment night two years ago, she admits she didn’t fully know what she was getting herself into. While she was sold by the hands-on experience, it wasn't until she was deep into the

played a crucial role in the fire department’s push toward strategic fireground training and operating guidelines. “When we started implementing our training, we did it together to help advance the effectiveness of the organization,” Judd said. “It was really all of us working together finding a way to train our team in a strategic way.” Judd was promoted to assistant fire chief in 1997 and again in 2009, a role he’d hold for the next 11 years. Over the course of four decades, Judd has had the privilege of working with many talented and dedicated first responders. “It’s amazing to have been a part of this group,” Judd said. “These are people that are happiest when they are sweaty and dirty and have done their job; when they’ve contained a fire, gotten a heartbeat and when they’ve made a difference.” Judd also thanks his family for its support. “My wife used to throw the garage door open so I could run off to a fire,” he explained. “To this day she gets up in the middle of the night with me when I’m called off to a scene, and I am very grateful for her support.” In September, the City Council honored Judd for his longevity with the city. “It’s been an honor,” Judd said. “The Fire Department is the biggest thing in my life other than my family.”

intensive training that she realized what the commitment truly meant. "It's one thing to say I'm committed on day one. It's a whole other thing to say, I'm committed nine months in," she said. A firefighter's job is not for the faint of heart, Heier said. It can be dirty, heavy, sweaty and hard. It requires a tremendous commitment of time away from family and loss of sleep. But if you – and your family – can adjust to the lifestyle, the rewards are well worth it.

"Being a firefighter is not for the faint of heart. You have to a have a servant's heart to do this job." Danielle Heier Paid-on-call Firefighter

IF YOU GO... WHAT: Firefighter Recruitment Event WHO: Interested candidates and their spouses WHEN: 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020 WHERE: Fire Station 1, 2700 Vierling Drive E. RSVP: Email fireinfo@ ShakopeeMN.gov

“It’s definitely a family around here,” Heier said. “You might be the one to apply for the job, but your whole family is joining the department.” Heier, who joined the department in June 2018, was attracted to the role of firefighter in part because she had always wanted to be a paramedic. Today's firefighters respond to a broad range of emergency calls, including accidents and medicals. “I love the heat-of-the-moment, go-go-go rush of emergency response,” she said. While the untimely pages are not easy for the mom of three, she said the camaraderie and opportunity to serve her community make being a firefighter all worth it. “There are so

many good things [about being a part of this team]. I wouldn’t trade it.”

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A SHAKOPEE FIREFIGHTER? The Shakopee Fire Department's annual paid-on-call firefighter recruitment runs February through March. Learn more at www.ShakopeeMN.gov/fire.

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