It was a happy occasion on Wednesday, January 8, 2014, as the most-recent Morrison, IL, volunteer fireman marked a quarter century milestone.
Stan Emmert, left, is shown receiving the prestigious Bulova watch from Fire Chief David Benters at the station. Emmert became a member of Morrison Fire Department (MFD) on January 2, 1989, and has earned 25 years of dedicated service to the community and surrounding areas.
Chief Benters commented, “He’s probably one of our more aggressive firefighters, the one they made the saying for: ‘First in, last out!’ He fits it.”
Emmert grew up in the Fulton, IL, area and moved to Morrison in 1987. In 1988, Emmert recalled, he was friends with local firefighters Joe Bielema and Larry Vos. Emmert “sometimes [went] to the station for clean-ups.” Even though there had been no firemen in his family, it was an easy step to join the brigade. He has served as Captain.
Emmert, like those who received previous 25th anniversary recognitions, recalled two of the worst Morrison fires in MFD history. The first was the Markman Peat Corporation, still at 13161 Fenton Road, on January 15, 1999. Second was the closed factory of Volckmann Furniture–Ethan Allen Division on W. Wall Street, February 22, 2002. He added the recent July 15, 2013, Prophetstown, IL, conflagration on Main Street. At that event, Emmert manned one of two MFD tenders [tankers].
There are no plans for retirement for this public servant. Emmert concluded, “I love it!”
