5 minute read
On Tap Map
ALL IN A DAY’S work
Battalion Chief Ryan Koepp
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BY ANNA SWARTZ
It’s Noon at the St. Clair Shores Central Fire Station in mid-August, and fish tacos are on the menu. Battalion Chief Ryan Koepp is on lunch duty, but others pitch in to get the meal on the table. At each seat is an individual serving of guacamole, sour cream, sliced red cabbage, grated cheese, a wedge of lime. A large dining table and chairs are situated inside the kitchen, and, just like each day during every 24-hour shift, the men of the station pause to eat their lunches and, later, dinners together. If they aren’t called out on a run, that is.
A Second Home
It would be strange to call them coworkers, because there is no chit-chat at the water cooler before heading back to a cubicle. The fire station is truly a second home, and the bond formed between those serving as firefighters and paramedics is strong. Family meals, check. Shared bedroom, check. Chores like cleaning the bathroom, grocery shopping and dishes, check. Earned mutual respect, check.
“We really are like siblings when we are here, and we love that,” says Koepp, as he is standing in the barracks-style dorm where most of the firefighters sleep. “It's not like we have pillow fights or tell ghost stories. There’s just something [about the arrangement] that contributes to the community family atmosphere that we have cultivated in St. Clair Shores, and we’re really proud of that.” 10 the shores
Career in a Nutshell
Koepp is in his 24th year with the St. Clair Shores Fire Department, and he’s worn most of the available hats including a six-month stint as interim fire chief. One of his most cherished roles was training chief.
Koepp is also part of the Macomb County Technical Rescue Team and Macomb County Hazmat Team. These specialty teams go beyond the capabilities of most individual departments, Koepp says, and require extra training. He, along with two other St. Clair Shores firefighters, are also members of the State of Michigan Urban Search and Rescue Task Force. This group of 110 first responders help with out-of-state disasters like hurricanes.
A Connecticut native, Koepp’s initial career plans didn’t involve firefighting. He was studying to become a teacher at Arizona State University. In 1993, he was working on campus at the athletic complex when a player was injured on the basketball court. Watching the Tempe Fire Department rush to the scene and help, Koepp realized, “That’s what I want to do.”
Life Force
Eventually family and work took him to Michigan, where he met his wife Terri in 1997: “I knew I would marry her on our first date...I think the sun rises and sets with her; She’s the smartest, most caring person. She’s a hospice nurse.” The Koepps live in St. Clair Shores and have four children, Bella (20), Tucker (18), Mira (17) and Oliver (15). Koepp gets a far-off look in his eyes as he talks about them, as if their preciousness is too hard to put into words.
feels like it’s in spite of me, not because of me...They provide me with a lot of motivation to be a better person. None of them belong to me. They belong to God. I want to take care of them as much as possible...What did I do to be so lucky to be their dad and to be Terri’s husband? I’m so incredibly proud of all of them.”
Juggling Both Worlds
Koepp and the others at Central Station agree that it can be hard to juggle their at-work and at-home responsibilities. The need to decompress from a stressful 24-hour shift and then switch into “fun dad” or to-do list mode can be challenging.
“Firefighters do so much more than we used to; we are busier than we’ve ever been” says Koepp, who tries to shrug off any ill-informed stereotypes of firefighters napping while waiting for alarm bells to ring. The city’s population was at its peak around the 1970s with 90,000 residents, Koepp estimates, and the fire department handled 3,000 runs per year. Now, with a smaller population, the average is 7,000 runs per year. He attributes it to the strong senior population and
(L-R) Battalion Chief Ryan Koepp, Battalion Chief Adam Walleman, Driver/Engineer Michael Haddad, Firefighter Aaron Piper and Firefighter Jamie Maier
the fact that people call for a large variety of reasons “when they just don’t know what to do.” This could be anything from someone’s washer hose breaking and leaking all over the floor, the classic cat-stuck-in-a-tree call, or a lot of serious EMS runs. They respond to every call that comes their way from the dispatch center.
Every time an engine or vehicle leaves the fire station, the run falls under these categories: firefighting, hazardous materials response, EMS, and rescue/major rescue. According to Koepp, they participate in a lot of training for low frequency, high risk situations. Training of some kind takes place every day from 9:30 a.m. to Noon. In between runs, the men at Central Station check and fix equipment, hit the workout facility, debrief, handle meal prep and more.
“We want to provide the assurance to people that when we aren’t on a run, we are spending our time getting ready for the run,” Koepp says. “And that takes a lot of time and energy.” In 2023, Koepp will retire after 25 years of service to the St. Clair Shores Fire Department. Ironically, he’s planning a second career as a teacher, the profession he decided against in college. He’s completing his master’s degree. “I’m not looking to be a high school teacher. I want to help working adults achieve another level of education or gain skills and knowledge that will help advance them in their careers.”
As for leaving the fire department next year, he’s ready to finish strong.
“When I take a second to look back at my career here, I feel satisfied that I was able to make the impact that I wanted to make. When I finally do leave, I’ll go with my head held high.”
