AE Tom WinterEight new Apparatus Engineers (AEs) were recently promoted and assigned to a station near you! Get to know them on the MFD Blog.

What is your new station assignment?
Station 5 (Cottage Grove Rd.) on the C shift
 
How long have you served with MFD?
I have been with the department for 19 years now. Of those, 13 were as a paramedic, and for the last 16 years I was assigned to Station 10 (Troy Dr.).
 
Why did I want to be a Apparatus Engineer? 
Well, to be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be one. I love firefighting, and sitting at the pump panel didn’t sound that exciting to me. With that said, I do like driving (it gets me out of cooking!)…

No, with all kidding aside, Station 5 is a really fun place to be a driver. The territory is huge and we have a wide variety of calls, which I really enjoy. After being at Station 10 for 16 years, I was a little nervous about going somewhere where I didn’t know every street. I’ve actually enjoyed the challenge of learning a new territory and love my new crew!
 
What has been one of the most rewarding experiences of your career up to this point?
Where do I start? Everything about this job is rewarding, even the tough parts. I have never dreaded coming to work. I love being able to help someone in need. Whether it be to get someone to the hospital or just “coach” someone through a crisis. Sometimes when a crisis hits, people can only see the situation in front of them and have a hard time seeing the big picture or what comes next. They don’t know who to call or what to do-- that's where we can come in and are able to help them take that next step.

The other rewarding part about my career is being able to work every day with some awesome people who have truly become my second family. 
 
What do you do when you’re not working?
I used to have a lot of hobbies-- hunting, fishing, golfing, kayaking, baseball and camping-- but then I had a few kids and those things got put on the back burner. Now that they are getting bigger, I am starting to introduce them to those things I used to do, and I enjoy watching them enjoy them like I did. 
 

This content is free for use with credit to the City of Madison - Fire and a link back to the original post.

Category: General, Station 5