VIDEO: Matt Schoonover, who some describe as a man of few words, was left mostly speechless Wednesday night, as his colleagues thanked him for 48 years of services to the firefighting profession.
"I don't like crowds, I don't like the celebrations and stuff, I like to be behind the scenes and help people out, so this is kind of tough for me," he said.
The Plover and Whiting firefighter had spent the last 33 years of his tenure serving those communities, and if you asked him, he was always about helping people.
"That's my goal, if someone needs help, we respond. If I need help, they will come and help me. That's how I was brought up. In a small town, it means a lot," Schoonover said.
He was the son of a fire chief and got his start in the profession in 1974, with the Black River Falls Fire Department.