Portage Fire Chief Troy Haase thought his career in firefighting was over when he retired in 2020 after seven years as division chief of fire prevention and public information officer for the Fond du Lac Fire Department.
But an unexpected job change for his wife meant they decided to move more quickly than anticipated and Haase would find new work to occupy his time. As soon as they moved to the area, Haase said his wife encouraged him to apply.
“My wife thought, ‘Oh, you should go for it. You’ll be bored when you retire,’” Haase said, adding he wasn’t sure he would find retirement dull.
He was also uncertain he would get the job. After all, he was up against 20 other candidates during a process that required Zoom interviews instead of face-to-face interactions. City Administrator Shawn Murphy said Haase stood out with the realistic ideas he put forward and experience in not only his firefighting career elsewhere but its roots in the city.