Chuck Himsel is Chief of the Fire Department of Mount Horeb. He's been the chief for 41 years. Before that, his father was chief for 19 years. That's the way it works with firemen, he says. It's a family thing, and often passed on from father to son.

"I grew up in this department," he says. "And now my crew is like a family to me, a big extended family. We rely on each other, and we're there for each other."

Chuck himself has fought hundreds of fires, and worked on the scene of scores of accidents, rescues and disasters. But to get Chuck to talk about himself is like pulling teeth. He's a soft-spoken man, and he wants – nay, insists – that the focus of any attention be on his men (and eight women) volunteers.

John Beuchner, for instance. A 3rd generation member of the Mount Horeb Fire Department. Not only were his father and grandfather firemen, John has two brothers who also volunteer, plus a nephew and another firefighting brother in Arizona.
Then there's Teri and Craig Brinkmann, a husband and wife team. Craig is a professional fireman in nearby Madison who volunteers in Mount Horeb in his off hours. Chuck calls Teri, the department's only firewoman, a "triple threat." She works as an EMT and firefighter, plus as the department's office manager.

Then there's Teri and Craig Brinkmann, a husband and wife team. Craig is a professional fireman in nearby Madison who volunteers in Mount Horeb in his off hours. Chuck calls Teri, the department's only firewoman, a "triple threat." She works as an EMT and firefighter, plus as the department's office manager.

And newer member of the crew Gerry Rick. Like many of the volunteers, he's a full time tradesman – a utility lineman – who trains and works as a volunteer on nights and weekends, as well as being on call all the time. "Most of these guys are your customers," Chuck tells us. "When they're not fighting fires, they work in the trades. We've got carpenters, tile-layers, carpet installers, linemen, maintenance guys. These are people who work very hard and then come here and volunteer. They're the ones who deserve the recognition." Fire Truck Chuck is a fount of local knowledge. Walking us through 100 years of history, he tells us the story of the Mount Horeb Fire District. Today, he tells us, the department is 60 members strong, including firemen and EMT's. It proudly protects 13,000 people living in 8 municipalities over an area of 132 square miles, with an average of 1000 calls per year. His department trains future firefighters, maintaining a house for local "cadets," and Chuck himself teaches firefighting classes.

The off-hours look: a few of Chuck's crew in our Fire Hose® Work Pants, Longtail T®, No-Polo® and Caps.

"I'm not telling you all this to brag," he emphasizes, "but I'm proud of what we do."

He's only too happy to show us around the station.

Our tour begins in the meeting room. Every wall, every shelf, every square inch of space is covered with firefighting memorabilia. Photos, drawings and paintings of fire trucks, antique fire helmets, extinguishers, sirens and lights, framed covers of Saturday Evening Post editions with firemen cover art, books, maps, awards, newspaper articles and more.

A shiny red lecturn is the lovingly restored and painted grille of a '48 Pirsch pumper truck.

Then there are the numerous glass cases along the walls, filled with Chuck's personal collection of hundreds – maybe thousands – of toy fire trucks. Some are 1/12 scale, others 1/43, some metal, some wood. It's an absolutely astounding array.

"I do a lot of shopping on eBay," he jokes.

As we walk through the hall, we see an antique wooden ladder hanging on the wall, along with an antique axe and more photos.

Next comes the true treat of any fire house visit: seeing the apparatus – the fire trucks – up close. Mount Horeb has five: two pumper tankers, an awe-inspiring 45-ft custom Tower Ladder Truck with Grummond Aerial Cat, a four-wheel-drive Brush Truck and a 1956 Pumper used mainly for parades.

Unlike most fire engines, which are red or pale yellow, Mount Horeb's are a striking glossy black.

"I always tell people it's for safety, to avoid crashes and such. But the truth is, I like black." He winks mischeviously. "And I'm the chief, so I get to choose the color."

An up close view lets us see the names of the trucks, a source of amusement for Chuck and his men. The first new pumper tanker was called Pete, so the second was dubbed Repeat. The 1956 Pumper is Truck #5. "We call it Pumper-Nickel," he says.

As a kind of prank seasoned firemen can appreciate, Chuck even borrowed a truck from another district and had it painted to look like it was stolen from Chicago.

"It's a serious job we do," he says. "But we like to have fun where we can." He points to a sign out front: "Mount Horeb Fire Department – Same Day Service."

How does all this get done in a volunteer fire department?

"The town pays part of it, the rest we raise money," he says. "The big thing is our annual festival, the Fire Muster. We started that in 1990, on our 100th anniversary."

An annual tradition, the Fire Muster attracts thousands of visitors and firefighters from all over the midwest. It runs all day, with fire truck rides for the kids, fire safety seminars and information booths, competitive events, a parade, a steak sandwich and brat supper and performances by the community band.

Firemen from all over the midwest – even as far away as Mount Carmel, Illinois, over 400 miles away – compete in timed bucket brigades, fire hose shooting accuracy (moving basketballs around a delineated court), the broken-hose relay and the midnight fire drill – a contest to see which team can get ready to roll to an emergency the fastest.

The Fire Muster is an event which reinforces the values Chuck holds dear, namely the familial atmosphere and comraderie among firemen and their families.

Just before we end our tour, we walk through a door over which is posted the department motto: Share in the Pride.

One gets the feeling, after talking to Chuck, that everyone associated with the Mount Horeb Fire Department most definitely does exactly that.