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Volunteer spotlight: Firefighters wear many hats when responding to a fire
McCOOK, Neb. — For many people, firefighting is about rushing into a burning building. But that’s only part of the picture, said Kyle Kunkee, a McCook City volunteer firefighter for 14 years.
In fact, only a few firefighters actually enter a burning building, Kunkee said, with many others having a job to do on the outside.
“I’m not one of the guys that goes into the house. You know, when it’s on fire, there’s other guys that like to do that,” he said. “I like to drag hose. I like to run tools. I like to fill bottles. I like to do all the grunt work on the outside.”
Everybody has a specific job when it comes to a fire and they’re all linked together, Kunkee said. This means the guy that’s cutting the vent hole in the roof, the firefighter spraying water on the outside, the one that’s throwing the ladder for the firefighter on the roof, they are all crucial for everything to come together. “If people don’t do their jobs, it doesn’t get done,” Kunkee said.
Kunkee first volunteered as a firefighter in 2005, right after he finished his service in the U.S. Marines. “I was fresh out of the Marines and just needed a place to belong,” he recalled. He then took a brief hiatus due to his military duties and later lived in Lincoln. In 2011, after returning from another deployment, he and his wife, Kimberly, decided to make McCook their permanent home. He became a City of McCook police officer for eight and half years and then rejoined the fire department—this time, for good
In addition to being a volunteer firefighter, he’s also a farmer and a family man, balancing the demands of these roles with his commitment to firefighting. He grew up in McCook and his two boys, Hunter, 12, and William, 9, have always known him as a member of the fire department. “They don’t remember a time when I wasn’t on it,” he said.
For him, being part of the McCook Fire Department means much more than just responding to calls. It’s about the camaraderie and the bonds forged through shared experiences. “There’s a really strong sense of family here,” Kunkee says. “There’s a pretty good amount of camaraderie between the guys, especially when you go through an emergency situation.”
And that’s important, considering the emotional toll that the job can take. “Unfortunately, there are just some things that are just eternally burned into your brain,” he said of the job, comparing the memories to some of the traumatic experiences he encountered during his military service. Some emergency calls stay with him for years. “No matter how hard you try to shake it, there’s still some things I’ve seen in car wrecks that I can describe to you in minute detail, even though it’s been years since it happened.”
Despite the emotional strain, Kunkee remains committed to the cause. “You can’t do this job without feeling something. That’s what makes us human,” he said.
One of the incidents that stands out for Kunkee was a fire seven years ago, when a canyon lined with dry pasture grass funneled a wind-driven wildfire straight toward McCook. Pushed by 60-70 mph winds, the fire ultimately covered 212 acres, burning one man and destroying one home on the northwest edge of town. There were a lot of people involved with that fire and that one sticks with him, he reflected. The McCook Fire Department, along with more than 11 other firefighting departments, worked tirelessly to contain the blaze and protect the community.
Kunkee also remembered how the McCook community supported them after the firefighters put in long hours containing that fire. A meal of Subway sandwiches, pizza, Gatorade and other items were provided for them at the Community Building. “I’m so grateful that we have a community that, if needed, they’ll throw a meal together for a bunch of firefighters,” he said. “We have so many great, wonderful people to make that happen.”
As for the future, Kunkee isn’t sure how long he’ll stay in the fire service, but he knows he’s committed at least for the next few years. “If I can get in another 10 years and get to 25 years total, I think at that point I might call it a day,” he said with a smile.