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"I started out riding on the back of a 1956 fire truck with no heat, no air conditioning, no protection from the elements," said Dave Sertterh. "Only two people could fit inside the cab, the driver and his captain. Everyone else either hung onto the sides or rode on the back."
That was in 1978. Soon, probably around the end of this year, he'll be retiring. And in that time, he has seen a lot of changes.
"The requirements were to be 18 and a high school graduate," he said. "At the time, that would take you all the way through the fire service. All your education would take place in house."
Now, certain ranks, including deputy chief, require either a two- or four-year college degree.
As for training, candidates have to already be EMT qualified to even apply for a job as a firefighter.
Because Sertterh had years as a firefighter at the time of his promotion, the college requirement was waived: All of the schooling Sertterh received after high school came from the fire department.
And he's passed that knowledge along to the next generation of firefighters. Before becoming a deputy chief, he spent 14 years as the department's training officer, keeping Ottumwa firefighters ready to do whatever needed to be done.
Sertterh, who works directly under the Ottumwa fire chief, is now in charge of "operations," or the daily functioning of the department, and "haz mat," the hazardous materials team.
"This position is made for me. I'm staff; I handle the business end of things," he said. "It's been a long time since I've picked up a hose line."
But he still shows up at fires, and as an officer, he is more interested in the "big picture" than the "knocking down" of the fire. That's the firefighters and the captains who do that.
"When they arrive, they're looking for fire, and where to put their water," Sertterh said. "I stand back and try to see the color of the smoke, darkened windows, who's in the crowd. I try to see the whole picture."
He talks a lot about the firefighters, and the amount of work they do, and the amount of good they do with diminishing resources.
"When I started, there were 43 firefighters, compared to 33 today," he said.
Toward the end of this interview, the trucks roared out of the large garage that houses them at the North fire station. It's the second call for the same building, which seems a bit odd for Sertterh. He grabs his coat and heads to the fire car, turns on the lights and sirens, and takes off to a local school.
"The joy of helping people, and it's just plain fun," he said.
Though he doesn't pick up a hose, he does enter the building. Like the commander on the scene, he and the other firefighters go from room to room to ensure the alarm really is a malfunction.
Each room he enters gets attention from nearly all his senses: Sight, of course, but the sense of touch and smell, too.
"There's a candle in here somewhere, you smell that?"
The candle is out, and Sertterh enters another room.
"It feels warm in here," he says before calling out, "Tony? Come stick your nose in here."
It continues with firefighters checking every area before letting the students back inside. The custodian and a fire officer take a look at the alarm system.
"I never thought I'd be a fireman growing up. But... it's been one of the most rewarding thing you can do," Sertterh said. "You meet people from all walks of life and provide them some measure of help. I can't think of anything better for a job."
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