Ernie Koepp wears a lot of hats. Ask different people in town who Ernie is and you'll get different answers -- firefighter, EMT, janitor, teacher, friend, father, husband, small engines mechanic. But there is one common answer among everyone you ask -- they'll tell you he's just a downright good guy.
Last weekend, Koepp received a 50-year service pin. He's spent the past five decades with the Poynette Dekorra Fire Department. Ernie Koepp received 50 years recognition from Poynette Dekorra Fire and EMS Department
To fully grasp the impact Koepp has had on the Columbia County Community and the countless people who have served with the department, you have to go back to the beginning.
Koepp joined the fire department in 1971 -- he tried to join the fire department even earlier in 1969 but at that time there was a limit of 25 people who could volunteer for the department. In 1975, he and five others graduated from EMT school.