2026 Hometown HEROES Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS June/July 2026 Page 23 He recalls how they received fire calls. The telephone operator would activate the town whistle. There would be one ring if the call was for town and three rings if the call was for the country. The firefighters would then gather at the firehouse, and the telephone operator would advise them of the fire's location. Eventually, they would notify a handful of firefighters on their home phones. Currently, the firefighters have pagers activated through Logan County Dispatch. This is just one advancement that he has seen over his tenure with the fire department. He also recalls the time before air packs. The firefighters would hold the hose near their faces, and as the highpressure nozzle sprays water, it also pulls air along, creating a fan-like effect. Earnie became fire chief in 1986 and remained in that role until 2022, when he realized it was time to pass the torch to Nick Rohlfs. Earnest supports the new chief and his vision for the department, calling him an excellent leader. To become Emden’s fire chief, you must be elected by the firefighters, and then the trustees must approve the choice. Nick Rohlfs served with Jeckel for 26 years before succeeding him. Rohlfs says, “I learned how to lead a scene by watching and listening to him, whether it’s a fire or rescue call or a car wreck.” He added that Jeckel also helped him learn about the administrative side of the department, like reporting and tracking calls. The primary responsibilities of the fire chief are to handle the budget, train new firefighters, and select the best equipment to meet the department’s needs. They also work with other fire chiefs and provide mutual aid on calls in nearby communities. He says one of the biggest challenges of being chief is recruiting and retaining firefighters. Daniel Eeten, a volunteer firefighter who has served with Jeckel for more than 20 years, says, “his leadership and passion for the department are second to none.” Eeten said he always encouraged him, along with other firefighters, to take training to be prepared to respond to any type of call. He added that Jeckel “takes pride in maintaining the station and trucks so that they look their best and are ready to answer the call.” Another volunteer firefighter of over 20 years, Nic Coers, said he learned from Jeckel that the top priorities of the firefighters are to keep the public safe and to work with other departments to do so. Coers believes that Jeckel’s greatest contribution to the fire district was “keeping the department unified internally, and externally, as well as watching out for the fire district as a whole”.
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