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News

Portage County's 'Smokey' is retiring

By BRIAN LEAHY
of The Gazette
Bill Peterson is winding down his fire fighting days after 45 years of battling blazes in Portage County.

Peterson, who began his fire fighting career in 1954 as a forest ranger with the old Wisconsin Conservation Department, stepped down as the Whiting fire chief in June, but he remains a firefighter on the Whiting Fire Department.

"Probably one of the most rewarding things is working with the other firefighters," Peterson said. "Working on a fire department, it's all a big family. We've got to work together. When it gets down to it, everyone is protecting everyone else."

Peterson has witnessed a lot of changes since he started with the Whiting Fire Department in 1957.

"Really, the history of the Fire Department is almost like a history of the village," Peterson said.

The first pieces of equipment he remembers the department having were "six helmets, six knee boots and six jackets."

The village had bought one fire truck when it incorporated in 1947 and another truck a few years later, but it had no fire station.

"One truck was kept at the Consolidated mill and the other at the old Whiting-Plover mill," he said.

Paper mill whistles alerted the volunteer firefighters when fires broke out in the village, he said. The number of whistle blasts told them whereabouts in the village a fire was.

"Then you went to that area and hoped you could find the fire," Peterson said. "If it was a good one, of course, you could find it."

Peterson's 28-year tenure as fire chief was longer than originally planned.

"I took over as chief in 1970, temporarily," Peterson said. "That's the way it usually works."

Whiting built its first municipal building in 1974, giving the Fire Department a home. The current Whiting Municipal Building was built in 1998 when the first one was torn down to make room for the Highway HH expansion project.

One of the highlights of his career was being "in on the ground floor" of designing the fire station portion of the new municipal building, he said.

"If it wasn't for the help we got from the Village Board, we wouldn't be where we are as far as the Fire Department," Peterson said. "We've got an excellent, No. 1 up-to-date fire station right now as far as I'm concerned."

The department now has two 1,000 gallon pumpers - a Ford bought in 1977 for $43,700 and a GMC bought in 1985 for $78,000 - an equipment van bought in 1995 and a rescue truck bought in 1998, he said.

"Right now a fire truck equal to what we bought in 1977 would cost us $190,000," Peterson said.

While Whiting may only have about 1,800 residents, it has two paper mills, at least 70 businesses and River Pines Center, he said.

"We've had a lot of good fires in the village," he said.

Peterson recalls some homes being lost and the water tower at the Whiting-Plover Paper Mill catching fire.

"That was really something," Peterson said. "It got hit by lightning. It's the first time we ever called for the Stevens Point aerial ladder."

He isn't the only member of his family who has served Whiting. His wife, Marge, is a former village clerk.

As a volunteer firefighter and fire chief at the Whiting Fire Department, Peterson fought structure fires. His fulltime job as a forest ranger had him tackling wildfires.

"It's completely different," he said of wild and structure fires.

Very often there weren't any other firefighters at the wildfires when he arrived in the Wisconsin Conservation Department's 1951 GMC tanker he drove.

"I took care of seven townships where there weren't any fire departments," he said. "You were all alone and just hoped there was help when you got there."

Portage County had a heavy fire load in the spring.

"We lost a lot and we saved a few," he jokes.

His wildfire prevention efforts included dressing up as Smokey Bear and visiting schools.

"Oh, it was great," he said. "I'd get to see kids all over the county."

His career included training firefighters across the state, so he was on most of the major forest fires. He retired from the Department of Natural Resources in 1986.

"I liked being in forestry," Peterson said. "I spent all of my life in the woods more or less."

He was a licensed guide for 11 years in northern Wisconsin. He used the money he earned guiding to help pay for school.

Peterson intends to remain on the Whiting Fire Department, but not be "really active."

"After all I'm only 71 years old," he said.



	Portage County's 'Smokey' is retiring By BRIAN LEAHY of The Gazette Bill Peterson is winding down his fire fighting days after 45 years of battling blazes in Portage County. Peterson, who began his fire fighting career in 1954 as a forest ranger with the old Wisconsin Conservation Department, stepped down as the Whiting fire chief in June, but he remains a firefighter on the Whiting Fire Department. "Probably one of the most rewarding things is working with the other firefighters," Peterson said. "Working on a fire department, it's all a big family. We've got to work together. When it gets down to it, everyone is protecting everyone else." Peterson has witnessed a lot of changes since he started with the Whiting Fire Department in 1957. "Really, the history of the Fire Department is almost like a history of the village," Peterson said. The first pieces of equipment he remembers the department having were "six helmets, six knee boots and six jackets." The village had bought one fire truck when it incorporated in 1947 and another truck a few years later, but it had no fire station. "One truck was kept at the Consolidated mill and the other at the old Whiting-Plover mill," he said. Paper mill whistles alerted the volunteer firefighters when fires broke out in the village, he said. The number of whistle blasts told them whereabouts in the village a fire was. "Then you went to that area and hoped you could find the fire," Peterson said. "If it was a good one, of course, you could find it." Peterson's 28-year tenure as fire chief was longer than originally planned. "I took over as chief in 1970, temporarily," Peterson said. "That's the way it usually works." Whiting built its first municipal building in 1974, giving the Fire Department a home. The current Whiting Municipal Building was built in 1998 when the first one was torn down to make room for the Highway HH expansion project. One of the highlights of his career was being "in on the ground floor" of designing the fire station portion of the new municipal building, he said. "If it wasn't for the help we got from the Village Board, we wouldn't be where we are as far as the Fire Department," Peterson said. "We've got an excellent, No. 1 up-to-date fire station right now as far as I'm concerned." The department now has two 1,000 gallon pumpers - a Ford bought in 1977 for $43,700 and a GMC bought in 1985 for $78,000 - an equipment van bought in 1995 and a rescue truck bought in 1998, he said. "Right now a fire truck equal to what we bought in 1977 would cost us $190,000," Peterson said. While Whiting may only have about 1,800 residents, it has two paper mills, at least 70 businesses and River Pines Center, he said. "We've had a lot of good fires in the village," he said. Peterson recalls some homes being lost and the water tower at the Whiting-Plover Paper Mill catching fire. "That was really something," Peterson said. "It got hit by lightning. It's the first time we ever called for the Stevens Point aerial ladder." He isn't the only member of his family who has served Whiting. His wife, Marge, is a former village clerk. As a volunteer firefighter and fire chief at the Whiting Fire Department, Peterson fought structure fires. His fulltime job as a forest ranger had him tackling wildfires. "It's completely different," he said of wild and structure fires. Very often there weren't any other firefighters at the wildfires when he arrived in the Wisconsin Conservation Department's 1951 GMC tanker he drove. "I took care of seven townships where there weren't any fire departments," he said. "You were all alone and just hoped there was help when you got there." Portage County had a heavy fire load in the spring. "We lost a lot and we saved a few," he jokes. His wildfire prevention efforts included dressing up as Smokey Bear and visiting schools. "Oh, it was great," he said. "I'd get to see kids all over the county." His career included training firefighters across the state, so he was on most of the major forest fires. He retired from the Department of Natural Resources in 1986. "I liked being in forestry," Peterson said. "I spent all of my life in the woods more or less." He was a licensed guide for 11 years in northern Wisconsin. He used the money he earned guiding to help pay for school. Peterson intends to remain on the Whiting Fire Department, but not be "really active." "After all I'm only 71 years old," he said.