Volunteer firefighting is not a social club - it's a calling

The Henze Family has three generations of Columbia-Walla Walla County Fire District 2 firefighters. Dane Henze is a volunteer firefighter/EMT for our local department, following in the footsteps of his late grandfather Carl Henze and (now retired) uncle Neil Henze. Dane’s cousin Samantha (Henze) Shafer also served in Waitsburg. We love our department.

Seeing a lack of “sufficient volunteer base” in our town is heartbreaking, and I’m thankful for Beka Compton’s call-to-action story in last week’s edition.

Our volunteer firefighters are heroes. When a call comes in, our heroes’ adrenaline is pumping as they hastily depart from dinner tables or jump out of bed in the middle of the night. Assisting a neighbor in crisis or saving a family home from fire is satisfying to the core.

Our firefighters enjoy the camaraderie of the department. But let’s be clear - this is not a social club - this is a calling. Our heroes save property and save lives. They complete many hours of training to be certified and re-certify, and the department covers the training costs. Our heroes also receive small stipends for attending calls and training, and there is a retirement benefit.

The Times covered the retirement in 2019 of incredible hometown heroes at our local fire department: Louie Gagnon, Andy Winnet, Neil Henze, Carl (Butch) Peck and Curtis Neal. The call for new volunteers was issued then. It is now 2022 and we are not meeting the needs of our community.

Will you answer the call?

Jillian Henze

Waitsburg City Council

Proud Wife of a Third-Generation Waitsburg Volunteer Firefighter

Volunteer firefighter application: https://www.cwwfd2.com/volunteers