Chief Krouse recalls first duty

Colfax Fire Volunteer Jim Krouse, who was honored for 50 years of service at Sunday’s fire department open house, noted his first attempts to join the department stalled out because he was unable to get away from his job during the day to respond to calls.

Krouse recalled he was out walking his dog when he came upon a scene where firefighters were rolling up a hose after fighting a commercial building fire where Rosauers is now located. He helped roll up the hose, and the following Tuesday he was accepted into the fire department. That was in 1969, and Krouse is still serving as a volunteer. He was elected chief 1973 and led the department for 38 years.

Krouse told the crowd at the open house Sunday he plans to offer instruction to new recruits while still serving on the department.

Chief Craig Corbeill stressed during the presentations that Krouse was still on the roster for the department and remains even more active since his retirement from Rosauers.

In addition to showing equipment, the volunteers also conducted model house burns to demonstrate how air supply can magnify a fire. The demos were done to illustrate the “close the door” mandate for fires.