The Union Fire Protection District is remembering a World War II veteran who was involved with the department for 77 years.
Joe Pautler started working with what was then the Union Volunteer Fire Department when he was a teenager during World War II. He was still with the fire district as a senior active when he died March 6 at 93.
“We have some folks with some years up there in numbers, but that certainly takes the cake,” Fire Chief Russ Hamilton said.
Senior actives are people over 55 who no longer go out on fire calls but assist active firefighters with tasks like cleaning trucks and loading equipment. They also take part in public relations activities like parades.
“They help us out quite a bit,” Hamilton said. “Maybe not in the actual fighting of fires, but they help in support means.”