Stalzer

HAVERHILL — Anymore, it’s not unusual for a person to stay employed in the same profession or at the same job location for several decades. But when the work is a volunteer-only position, and involves potential danger, that longevity is far less common to see.

Haverhill Fire Department Fire Chief Dick Stalzer came aboard as a volunteer firefighter in 1976, shortly after the city hall/fire department was constructed in the mid-70s. He’s never left.

Haverhill Mayor Maddie Welton said she’s eager to see Stalzer recognized for his five decades of service. She noted she and her family moved to Haverhill 15 years ago, and she got on city council 12 years ago. It was by serving the town that she got to know Stalzer, who has lived in Haverhill all of his life.

“Fifty years of service anywhere is noteworthy, but 50 years as a volunteer is extremely rare,” Welton said.

Stalzer grew up on the family farm, north of Haverhill. He attended school in Marshalltown. Upon graduating, he went into farming. His father told him that Timber Creek Township had purchased a new pumper truck.

“And then dad says they need somebody to learn how to run that pump and start fighting these fires, you know, because someday we may need it,” he recalled. “That’s when my brother Bob and I joined, in 1976.”

After training, the brothers suited up. He recalled first using a 1956 Ford pumper, that would undergo various modifications through the years, before the team obtained a 1999 pumper truck.

Stalzer noted there are unique challenges to rural fire fighting and he’s encountered many different scenarios.

“There used to be a railroad track going through Haverhill, and a lot of the trains would set a lot of fires, something would heat up. There were a lot of field fires that we’d go and fight, especially when it was dry, in the spring or after harvest. And of course, you’d have the structure fires as well,” he said.

If a garage or barn caught on fire — sometimes from a lightning strike — the goal was getting the blaze contained before a tractor or car housed inside exploded.

In the early years, the team would rarely get called to serve Marshalltown.

“Today we sometimes get called in there, but early on, it was basically Haverhill, Melbourne and Laurel we would respond to,” he added. “Then later on, we started responding to accidents. Our primary would be fire, of course, but then we help on the medical side of it, too.”

The department responds to around 35 calls a year, with firefighters often working a full-time job on top of their fire department duties.

None of Haverhill’s firefighters are EMTs, but they’re CPR-certified.

“We can do some basic first aid and try to help them before the ambulance comes,” he said. “A lot of times now, since the (Marshalltown) hospital moved to the south, they get there sometimes before we do.”

He was named fire chief in 2013 and the new fire station opened in 2014. He said he’s seen many fire chiefs and firefighters either move away, retire or die in these last 50 years. Health conditions often lead to firefighters stepping down.

“We have 17 on the roster. We have a pretty young crew. I would say the lowest we ever got was 15,” he said.

His son Ross Stalzer is assistant fire chief. His cousin Jim Stalzer serves as first assistant.

“Jim is older and has been on (for) quite a few years. Ross will step in probably if I choose to retire,” he noted.

He said since joining in 1976, he’s seen changes in the field, namely, larger trucks and the usage of foam to suppress the flames. Debriefing after attending to a traumatic call, he says, has become essential.

“Some of those calls will never leave your mind…We always embrace each other and talk about it. You got to talk about it. You can’t bottle it up inside you. And then as time goes on, it helps. More fun calls come in,” he said.

He would like to see first responders volunteer with the Haverhill Fire Department someday.

“We may just bring on new personnel for that,” he said.

There is also fundraising underway for a new pumper truck. He said he also expects a new tanker to arrive at the station by the end of the year, with the capacity to hold 3,000 gallons of water — essential to responding to rural fires. This would be in addition to the current truck that can harbor 2,000 gallons.

“The townships — Timber Creek and Jefferson — will purchase the tanker,” he said.

Stalzer is still farming and has no plans to step down as fire chief anytime soon. He hopes to be of service to the fire department for years to come.