Each month, Eagle Radio in Great Bend will recognize groups or individuals that make a big impact on our community. This Appreciation Month is highlighting the Great Bend Fire Department.
By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Growing up on the western city limits of Kansas City, Kansas, Bert Treff never
imagined a life living in Great Bend. With that said, Treff did not
have much tying him down to the KC area when he accepted a position with the
Great Bend Fire Department.
"My parents were retiring and sold my childhood house and apple orchard that I
grew up with,” said Treff. “My parents moved next to Table Rock Lake in
Missouri. Also, my girlfriend just broke up with me. It really was not a big
deal to come out here.”
After obtaining his certifications and attending classes at Kansas City Kansas
Community College, Treff submitted roughly 15 applications to fire departments
throughout Kansas. Treff interviewed at a station in Kansas City and Leavenworth
but did not get hired.
“It seemed like every time I was interviewing, there were guys with 10-plus
years of experience,” said Treff. “I got better at the interviews each time I
went and then Great Bend called me.”
After receiving his fire certificates, about a year passed before Treff
accepted the firefighter position in Great Bend. The Piper High School
graduate was working at a U-Haul mechanic shop in Kansas City before going
before the interview committee in Great Bend.
“It was about a 45-minute interview,” said Treff. “They gave me a tour of both
stations and emphasized that this position is a jack-of-all-trades. You’ll end
up doing everything.”
Joining the fire department initially sparked Treff’s interest with the
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) side. Running into burning buildings was far
from his comfort zone early on.
“I had a buddy that is a firefighter and he told me to get hired you need to be
a firefighter as well,” said Treff. “I was originally a little scared of fire. I
signed up for the fire class at college and loved it by the end of the class.”
Choosing the EMT/fire route was a second choice for Treff after he realized he no
longer wanted to be an engineer.
“I was on the robotics team in high school,” said Treff. “When I had to take
calculus twice, I decided I probably can’t be an engineer. I kicked around the
catalog and decided…I could probably not be an EMT. I took the class and loved it.”
With a span of a year between the time Treff finished coursework and getting
hired, he admitted his skillset was pretty dusty when he first arrived in Great
Bend.
“I spent a week training and there is a six-month probation,” said Treff. “I
spent that time with my nose in the books and slamming doors on trucks, getting
to know everything.”
Treff also spent that 6-month probation getting to know the city streets and
service area around Great Bend. Firefighters are required to memorize where
each street is located. The station has a large dry erase board with all the
streets laid out without their names. Each firefighter is tasked with filling
out the street names by memorization.
“I really liked that,” said Treff. “I know all the backroads. Now, I’m not
taking 10th Street when I have to go to the store.”
Being in Great Bend for two years now, Treff leans on the veteran staff at GBFD
for advice, both related to the job and outside of work.
“I have an 80-year-old house I bought by Barton Community College and it’s
nothing but work,” joked Treff. “One of my captains taught me how to do
drywall. If I have a question about sprinklers, I can just ask the guys around
me because they are a wealth of knowledge about everything.”
Working three, 24-hour shifts in five days, but then getting four straight days
off, has its perks for Treff.
“I love the schedule,” said Treff. “I like to do solo backpacking trips. I can
drive down to New Mexico one day, hike for two days and then drive back.”
The Kansas City native is settling into the
more rural lifestyle.
“Everyone is so kind out here,” said Treff. “It is way different than Kansas
City where most people keep their eyes on their feet. I don’t think I could
work another job at this point. I love doing this.”
Read the previous Appreciation Month stories by clicking HERE.