Being on the St. Olaf Fire Department is a Kahrs family tradition

By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register

Since the late 1950’s, there has been member of the Kahrs family serving on the St. Olaf Fire Department—and most likely serving as chief. It’s a family tradition that started with James Kahrs, and has since included his son Dave and grandson Marcus, both of whom are current members. Marcus is presently the chief, a position he has held since 2017. 

The father and son fire-fighting duo are both St. Olaf natives, staying close to their roots and, in the words of Dave, “never leaving.” They like the peacefulness of the town, friendliness of the people and helping the community and their neighbors. It’s partly why they joined the fire department in the first place. Well, that and the romanticism of following in their father’s footsteps. 

It was 1973 when Dave decided to join the fire department, a decision he made because of the times he accompanied his dad to the station and hung out there, doing the odd job only a child could do. He also had an innate desire to help people. 

In talking about his days as a firefighter and how it has changed over the last 50 years, Dave mentioned the training. There wasn’t much in the 1970s. Back then, you learned more by watching and being “thrown to the wolves,” as opposed to the more intense training firefighters receive today.  

It wasn’t until the late 70s when Dave received any formal training through firefighter classes, but he always felt prepared, having spent countless hours at the station, watching, learning and paying attention to his father. 

This served Dave well during his first fire call in 1973, which was a barn fire full of chopped hay. While the barn was saved, the hay was gone, making it a success in the world of fighting fires. The situation was “not scary,” though he joked it “was too much manual labor.” 

There was also a silo fire that stuck with Dave, during which he climbed up the shoot to put water on it, but it “didn’t do any good.” In the end, Dave reached out to another fire department who dealt with a similar situation and determined the only thing to do was knock the entire silo down, which they did with a dozer. 

Dave became chief in 1976, after being voted into the position, and remained in that role until 1992. Apparently no one else wanted the job, which was the running joke during the interview. 

As chief, Dave secured better gear and equipment and helped expand the fire station in the 1980s to accommodate the growing number of vehicles. It created a sense of accomplishment for Dave, since an expanded fire station could better serve the community he wanted to help. 

It was also during his time as chief that Dave responded to a call that has stuck with him. It was a house fire in the middle of winter and it was “colder than hell,” with a lot of snow. It stuck with Dave because, during the call, a little girl wrapped in an electric blanket was removed from the house. It turned out the blanket started the fire, and while the girl survived, for some reason that image stuck with Dave. It also changed his opinion on electric blankets. 

One thing that hasn’t changed is that, even retired and at age 67, Dave is still the first one through the doors when a call comes in, though his duties have changed. He’s no longer the one running into the burning building. Instead, he runs the pumper and assists where necessary. 

Usually arriving second through the door is Marcus, who followed in his father’s footsteps by joining the department in 2001, at age 16. Back then, Marcus spent countless weekends at the station with his dad, he knew everybody in the department and it was a close-knit group. The decision to join was equal parts to be like dad, help out the neighbors, give back to the community and, of course, the “excitement” of being young and being a firefighter. 

Marcus’s first experience was an unremarkable grass fire. It was another experience at 18 that caused a “little panic” in the moment, however. While responding to a motor vehicle accident, Marcus tripped over a deceased dog while walking down into a ditch looking for survivors of the crash, who were all located and survived. The call instilled in Marcus a willingness to get people the help they needed. 

This willingness eventually led to Marcus becoming chief in 2017—along with a vision for change. This vision is constantly looking for ways to upgrade the equipment, which is why the department bought a tanker in the spring with money from fundraising. 

But at the forefront of Marcus’s vision is the return of an EMS service in St. Olaf, which was lost in the mid-2000s as people aged out and moved away. Due to this, St. Olaf has had to rely on Farmersburg for its EMS calls, and while Marcus is grateful for the assistance, he also believes it is something St. Olaf should do for residents of St. Olaf. 

So, leading by example, Marcus took the EMS responder course and is currently waiting for the state to process some paperwork and pass an inspection, having already secured equipment through fire department funds and through an affiliation with MercyOne. As it stands now, starting in January 2023, Marcus should be able to respond to EMS calls made by residents of St. Olaf. 

“If my neighbor is dying, if I can help them, I should be able to do that. If I can help, I want to help,” Marcus said. 

Throughout their time as chief, both Marcus and Dave have been responsible for fundraising efforts, which have changed over the years. In Dave’s years, the department held a dance, but attendance started to wane, and eventually the events stopped. “Nobody likes to dance,” Dave said. 

Now the department hold fundraisers like a hog roast in the spring and sending out donation letters. Additionally, Marcus writes a number of grants, one of which led to the department receiving an Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation grant for a Jaws of Life emergency tool, which should arrive at the department early next spring. It’s one of eight total grants Marcus has been able to secure during his time as chief. 

With all the similarities between their times, there are some noticeable differences. One of the challenges Marcus faces that his father didn’t necessarily have to deal with is finding firefighters in small St. Olaf, which lacks the number of businesses that existed during his father’s era and, more specifically, youth to fill the ranks. 

To combat this, Marcus goes on door-knocking campaigns, talking to people and trying to find anyone interested in joining the department. This challenge is intensified when a call goes out, especially during the week, since the overwhelming majority of the St. Olaf Fire Department works outside of town. It makes it “hard to find manpower,” Marcus said. 

When it comes to being chief, Marcus takes stock of the responsibility, not just the paperwork, grant writing and fundraising, since he has the lives of 20 people on his hands. It is a “serious responsibility” making sure everyone returns home safe after a call. 

This responsibility comes around between 15 to 20 times a years for the department. And while most of calls are for grass fires and motor vehicle accidents, there are always dangerous calls mixed in, such as a recent house fire. 

In their time as chief, neither Dave nor Marcus has ever lost a firefighter. 

“I will not put anyone in a situation I will not do myself,” Marcus said. 

Over the course of 70-some years, the Kahrs family has been involved in helping the people of St. Olaf. It is a tradition that revolves around sons following in their father’s footsteps and wanting to help the community where family and friends live. 

But it’s not just about the Kahrs, but their fellow firefighters. As Marcus stated, “it takes the whole team to make this work.” 

“I wouldn’t be the chief I am today if it wasn’t for this community and this group of guys beside me, so I’d like to thank the community and every member of the St. Olaf Fire Department for their support, commitment and dedication to this town and to keeping it safe,” Marcus said.