Erik joined our department in May of last year, but that wasn’t the start of his firefighting career. He was also a firefighter with our sister company Doyle for some time before joining with us. Erik has taken courses such as Basic exterior fire operations, Certified First Responder and elevator rescue & Fire operations. And looks to continue to advance his training over time. When Erik is not responding to calls you can usually find him cooking, camping, watching movies or TV with his wife or spending some time outdoors with his son. When asked why he wanted to become a firefighter Erik’s response was, “Ever since I was a little boy, I would always rush on my bike to the fire hall when I would hear the siren go off! This is when I first gained an interest. Now many years later I wanted to be able to give back to the community and be able to help others when they are in a dire need!” Erik says that firefighting has taught him to not take life for granted, The men and women of Sloan Active Hose Co. No. 1 are his second family. “They are a spectacular & dedicated group of individuals that would give the shirt off their back to help someone in need!”

Erik’s advice for new members is, “Join for the right reasons, train as much as possible, and never be afraid to ask questions. Always be kind and courteous to those around you.”

This month we Honor and Thank Erik for all of his hard work and dedication to not only our department but our community as well.