Life-Saving Award to Rewerts' - Kilian Retirement

CREDIT: Article - Samantha Foster, CJOnline.com - Picture, Capt. Soldani

DOVER — Shawnee County’s last remaining all-volunteer fire district on Saturday recognized the many years of service given by its deputy chief, who retired Dec. 31 after more than 36 years of service.

Bill Kilian, 73, served with the Shawnee County Fire District No. 4, known as Dover Fire, for a length of time that Fire Chief Dirk Christian likened to an entire career’s worth. Aside from his service with the fire district, Kilian spent 38 years in law enforcement and emergency medical service.

He formerly worked for both the Topeka Police Department and Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office. Now, Kilian said, he will enjoy retirement from active service, while still volunteering with the fire district from time to time.

“I still have a lot to give,” he said. “But at my age, I don’t need to be getting up at 2 in the morning.”

The fire district currently has 29 volunteer firefighters and also operates an Explorer post in which teenagers can learn the ropes of firefighting and ride along on calls before, in most instances, joining as a full-fledged volunteer firefighter when they turn 18, Christian said.

Shawnee County Fire District No. 4 responded to 226 calls in 2014, Christian said. On Saturday, the result of one — a medical emergency call — earned a fire captain and his son a Life-Saving Award, the first awarded by the fire district.

Christian recounted the story for the more than 100 people present for the fire station’s chili feed and awards ceremony held at the Fellowship Hall building next to the Dover Federated Church. On Aug. 17, a call came in seeking emergency response for a person who had suffered an acute heart attack at the Capital City Gun Club.

Minutes later, Nathan Rewerts and his son Sean, a member of the Explorer post, responded to the gun club. They found cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts underway on a 71-year-old Texas man. After finding the man had no pulse and wasn’t breathing, the pair hooked up a defibrillator and administered two electrical shocks to restart the man’s heart.

By the time American Medical Response ambulance service arrived, they “were able to treat and transport a very alive and active 71-year-old male patient to Stormont-Vail hospital.”

The man made a full recovery and, Christian said, was pleased to hear last week that his rescuers were being honored. The man said he hoped to meet the pair next summer when he returns to Topeka, Christian said.

SOURCE: http://cjonline.com/news/2015-02-21/dover-fire-district-recognizes-retiring-deputy-chief