Being a firefighter requires hard work, dedication, and a desire to help the community. Clearwater Firefighter Jim Repke has been following these tenets for 40 years.

“My father was a Minneapolis Firefighter for years,” said Repke. “So we all grew up wanting to be firefighters.”

After he moved to the Clearwater area he considered joining the fire department, but it was Kevin Heaton who convinced him to apply.

“The fire department has evolved so much over the years,” said Repke. “When I first started we actually had structure fires, today medical is probably 85% of our calls. We might have had 40-60 calls a year, this year we’ve had over 250 calls already. And the new technology is amazing.”

Although Repke has enjoyed being a firefighter all these years it hasn’t all been fun.

“The death of a little five-year-old girl in an accident hit me hard and made me question being a firefighter,” said Repke. “At the time I had a daughter the same age as her.”

Thankfully there are calls that reaffirm his decision to be on the department, especially ones where they’re able to save a life.

“There was a guy pumping gas who had a heart attack,” said Repke. “We were able to restart his heart. These are the type of calls that stand out and make everything worth it.”

Although it might seem like calls must get repetitious, it’s not the case.

“Each time a call comes in you never know what you’re going to get,” said Repke. “It’s varied. We had a motorcycle accident that required a helicopter. In a case like that we firefighters have to find and prepare a spot for the helicopter to land.”

Along with the calls Repke stresses there is a lot of work to being a firefighter. Training is a constant, taking up approximately 10 hours each month. There’s also continuing education which is required each year. That’s after the two years of training new firefighters are required to take. It also doesn’t pay much.

“If you want to do it for the money you’re in the wrong profession,” said Repke. “But it’s the most awesome job with the most awesome people.”

All the work and shared experiences create strong bonds between the firefighters.

“We’ve built such a relationship together,” Repke said. “It’s a unique bond. It’s like a second family.”

Fire Chief Mike Keller praised Repke’s dedication.

“Jim is well liked by our members and his continual service demonstrates how much he cares about our community,” he said.

Repke expressed thanks to the Lions, the Legion, and the community as a whole for their support. Along with their regular service, the fire department supports the community back in other ways as well.

“We do around 20 community events a year like Heritage Days, National Night Out, Trunk or Treat, and other requests from the public,” said Repke. “We block traffic for the charitable motorcycle runs.”

After 40 years on the department Repke is still answering calls, not quite ready to retire. He estimates he’ll continue for another two years.

“It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done,” said Repke. “I love it so much. People call us in their darkest hour and we’re there to help. It’s a lifelong reward.”

The Clearwater Fire Dept. is always looking for firefighters. Anyone who would like to apply is encouraged to stop by city hall to pick up an application. The application is also available on the city’s website at clearwatercity.com.