As soon as I graduated high school, I wanted to serve my community in a much bigger way - so I joined the Town of Grant Fire and EMS team in Caroline, Shawano County. They sent me to Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) to become certified in both EMS and fire. Since then, I have kept my EMS license up to date and current through Wisconsin. I have attended the necessary refresher courses that they offer every couple of years.

By joining Grant Fire & EMS, it helped ultimately prepare me for my career in law enforcement. If I didn’t join when I did, I don’t think I would be where I am today. I have a good friend, and retired EMT, Dave Krueger to thank for that. He immediately knew I had potential and took me under his wing. He treated me like one of his own and I looked up to him like a second grandpa.

I haven’t been affiliated with an EMS group for many years, so why do I keep my license up to date? It’s simple - there are so many benefits for the community! I am frequently getting refreshed on my life-saving skills and I can put those skills to use on medical calls that I respond to as an officer. It helps increase the chances of survival and it really is a breath of fresh air to the paramedics when they know the officer on scene knows what he/she is doing! Not to mention that if I am off-duty and in the community, I am able to jump into action in the case of a medical emergency.