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| Firefighters Celebrate Bartlett’s Work |
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| News - Osawatomie | |||
| Written by Kevin Gray | |||
| Wednesday, 17 December 2008 08:00 | |||
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A real band of firefighter and emergency rescue brothers and sisters came together at the Osawatomie Community Building Saturday night to wish Osawatomie Fire Chief Ted Bartlett the best with his retirement effective that evening. With 20 years as chief of the Osawatomie Fire Department, Bartlett said he is looking forward to sleeping nights. “I no longer will have that pager going off in the middle of the night and then off I go,” he said with a smile. “Tonight is also 20 years to the day that I became the chief,” he added. Bartlett will continue his full-time job as a police officer at Shawnee Mission East High School and his part-time patrolman job for the Osawatomie Police Department. He said he tried living in Shawnee Mission. “That lasted for three months, and I came back here. It just didn’t feel like the right fit. I’ve always lived in Osawatomie, and I like it,” he added. New Fire Chief, DuWayne Tewes, said he and Bartlett had worked together both as police officers and in the fire department. “And like a rash that won’t go heal, he and I have had an odd connection, but when you share a hose line, a fire truck and hotel rooms, you really get to know a person,” he said. “I’ve learned so much from this person who is so incredibly dedicated to the department, and we’re sad to see him go,” Tewes said. Tewes offered several memories of fighting fires together. “A few years back at a house fire on Walnut, capt. Brian Mersman and Firefighter Scott Wheatley (no longer with department) were going in to attack the fire. They had not realized that the fire had vented out the back of the structure, and the entire attic was involved. They had made it to the kitchen area, when Ted noticed this condition. “He ordered an immediate evacuation of the structure. According to Mersman, as soon as they reached the outside, the entire roof collapsed. A few seconds more, and they would have probably been seriously injured, if not worse,” Tewes said. In a training setting, Tewes describes how the unexpected, even there, can happen. “Ted had always kind of prided himself on not getting guys hurt, always watching out for us and what we do. We had a house donated for training out in the county and had been using it for several training evolutions. We were doing a firefighter down/saving our own drill. Firefighter Steve Sledd and firefighter Steve Welter (no longer with the department) were rescuing Ted from the house. “As they attempted to move and lift Ted, Sledd moved just right and his leg buckled and broke. So...in training...while rescuing the chief... a firefighter’s leg is actually broken,” Tewes said. More unexpected training pitfalls continued to hit the guys. “At the same house, the final training evolution was a live burn on a weekend. We set several fires, had guys put them out, before allowing the fires to burn the house down. As the fire burned, it gets hot. Fire does that. We suddenly wondered if the trucks are a little close. We know they are when we saw a melted tail light lens on the fender. But it didn’t end there. “Ted was in charge. A few hours later, Captain Brian Love, Ted and myself were monitoring the last of the fire at the house. Everyone else had left. We were standing by until the fire died out. I was adjusting some of the debris in the fire with a long trash hook when I heard a snap-cracking sound. I realized the tree I was under was falling down. Before I could move very far, a large tree limb (10 inch es in diameter) fell down, hitting me in the head. I did not have my helmet on at this point, and it knocked me to the ground, breaking my glasses, and cutting my head and face. The limb did not separate totally from the tree or my injuries would have been worse. “I remember hitting the ground and hearing Love yell for Ted. As Love stabilized my neck, I heard Ted tell Love that we were still under the tree and needed to move. They got me moved, Ted and Love helped me with my injuries, and got me home. So Ted had a training house that broke one leg, damaged equipment, and cracked his assistant chief over the head,” Tewes said with a laugh. Michael Kriesel, one of the newest firefighters, knew he liked Bartlett from the start. “When he hired me, I was one of six new firefighters. Osawatomie had never hired that many firefighters at once. This is due to Ted,” he said. Like the others, firefighter Brett Henderson does not want to see Bartlett go. “We all hate to see him go. He was more than just an asset to the department, he cares about his community, too,” Henderson said. Tewes said in prepared comments to the audience that Ted had earned his right to retire. “After living 20 years by the pager, he’s earned his retirement. He built this department to the professional level we enjoy today. The chief will be missed. The next time we fight a structure fire, we’ll think of you, Ted,” he said. And with a twinkle in his eye, Tewes added, “And when I look around and wonder why I’m in charge of all these fire monkeys, I will blame you.” Fred Miller, representing the Miami County Rural Fire Board, presented Bartlett with a plaque. Bartlett’s fellow firefighters gave him a heart-felt and often funny wooden box of memories, including photographs and memorabilia, some embarrassing, they called the Who Am I box. Tewes also presented the outgoing chief with a fire axe depicting firefighting scenes and a set of DVDs of film footage shot over Bartlett’s career in Osawatomie. The Department of Public Safety presented a certificate of appreciation.
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