Dairyland Employees Showcase their Concern for Community: Fire Prevention Week

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One of the seven Cooperative Principles guiding co-ops like Dairyland is Concern for Community. Many Dairylanders fulfill community-supporting roles outside of the office as coaches, charitable Board members and volunteers, EMTs, firefighters and more.

During National Fire Prevention Week, Dairyland recognizes our team members who serve as volunteer firefighters. There have been two major fires in the greater La Crosse community recently - and Dairyland employees led safety and rescue efforts during both incidents.

La Crescent Fire Department: Director, IT Application Services Tom Paulson serves as the Fire Chief. He has been with the department since 2006 and has served as Fire Chief since 2015. Dairyland's Manager, Facilities & Grounds Chris Fruechte also serves as a volunteer firefighter for La Crescent.

Over this past weekend, Tom led firefighting efforts following a blaze at an assisted living facility in La Crescent. Click here for Tom's interview about the weekend fire with WXOW News19.

Town of Campbell Fire Department: VP and CIO Nate Melby serves as Fire Chief for the Town of Campbell, located on French Island. Technical Support Specialist Neal McGough serves as Captain. Both Nate and Neal provided emergency firefighting aid during the French Island fire last week.

Cambridge Volunteer Fire Department: Operations Technician III (RockGen) Joe Evans serves as Fire Chief. Joe joined the Cambridge FD in 1995 and prior to his Fire Chief role, served as a firefighter, lieutenant and assistant chief. The fire department covers a 70-mile radius, including a portion of I-90.

Fountain City Community Fire Department: JPM Mechanic - Generation Curt Czaplewski has been firefighter with the Fountain City FD for 37 years! He currently also serves as the Department Secretary.

Nelson Fire Department: Foreperson - Mechanical Generation Ty Johnson has served 31 years and is the Fire Chief; JPM Shift Leader Kevin Busch has served as a firefighter for 15 years; Manager, Alma Fuels & Solid Waste Don Loock has served for 13 years; Coal Handler Jacob Heller has served for eight years and Coal Handler John Henn for two years (plus one year with the Alma FD).

Onalaska Fire Department: Manager, IT Infrastructure Services Bill Meshak has served as a Firefighter and EMT for 16 years. The OFD assisted during both the recent French Island and La Crescent fires.

Pepin Fire Department: JPM Plant Control Systems Administrator Dustin Gold has served as Fire Chief for two years and has been with the Pepin FD for eight years.

Waumandee Fire Department: JPM Manager, Operations Carl Dahl and Maintenance Planner/Analyst, Generation Jared Sendelbach serve as firefighters. Jared has been with the department for seven years.

Westby-Christiana Fire Department: Manager, Environmental Affairs Erik Hoven serves as Captain. When President Joe Biden visited Westby to announce Dairyland's New ERA grant award on Sept. 5, Erik was onsite for the day in his volunteer Fire Captain role.