By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
A veteran Decatur firefighter has stepped down, leaving yet another vacancy in the city’s paid-on-call (POC) ranks.
Tim Geimer, whose firefighter roots are deep, recently ended a 30-year tenure with the Decatur Fire Department.
“It’s time for the younger guys to take over,” he told WZBD.com. “I’m gonna start monitoring my oldest son, who is also a full-time fireman in the suburb of South Bend … and also play with the grandkids more.”
In addition to his son, Dakota, a member of the Clay Fire Territory north of South Bend, Tim’s father, Roger Geimer, is on the Akeley Fire Department in Minnesota – after serving 18 years as a firefighter in Decatur.
Tim recalls, “I started going to the fire department when I was in kindergarten; I would go with my father who was on the department.”
More family is involved in the profession as son-in-law Alex Burkhart is a member of the Bluffton Fire Department and also is with the Monroe volunteer department.
In addition to Dakota, Tim and his wife, Ann, have two other children: Kaitlen and Trent.
FOUR OPENINGS: Decatur’s ranks of paid-on-calls is now four short of a full complement of 25.
Applications have been taken in recent weeks.
“I can’t say enough about these guys,” Mayor Dan Rickord said at a city council meeting when Geimer’s retirement was announced. “They show up to everything, they show up all the time.”
And, he added, “They’re getting harder to find.”
That’s why the city recently reduced the age limit to 18.
According to Fire Chief Jeff Sheets, POCs are paid $18.65 for the first hour of response to an incident, then, $15.22 for each additional hour. Special responses and scheduled monthly training are compensated at the rate of $15.22.
The POCs receive all personnel protective fire equipment, an on-the-job personal injury policy, and a bi-annual fuel and clothing allowance.
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