Steve Hansen retired from the Le Mars Volunteer Fire Department May 1 after nearly 35 years of service. Hansen said he wants to have more time to fish, hunt and ride his motorcyle. [Click to enlarge]

"If they get something major, I can help if they need me to," Hansen said.

Hansen, who started in 1974, retired from the fire department May 1 after nearly 35 years. When he started as the city's public works superintendent last fall, time became an issue.

"I have too many irons in the fire," Hansen said. "I had to give up something."

Firefighters log more than 100 hours a year for training, which includes weekly drills like learning to use ladders, hoses, air packs or even classroom instruction.

Training is essential, Hansen said, which is why the department has the weekly drills and also a fire trailer where they can practice maneuvering through tight doorways and spaces or even fill it with non-toxic smoke.

"You can't go out there blind," Hansen said. "You just never know what you're going to get into."

Hansen said he will miss the volunteerism and camaraderie with the other firefighters.

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Wayne Schipper, the Le Mars fire chief, said it's Hansen's dedication and community involvement that made him a valuable addition to the fire department.

"Being on these volunteer fire departments you have to sacrifice time and he did that," Schipper said. "He gave of his time to the community and as a member of the fire department."

When Hansen started with the fire department years ago, it was an auxiliary department, which meant the firefighters didn't go into fires, but did everything else like manning hoses.

Back in the 1970s before he joined the fire department Hansen remembers when the fire signal sounded, people ran outside or drove to the fire station to get the news. He wanted to be on the inside of that circle.

"It was interesting. I wanted to be on the trucks instead of watching," Hansen said. "Obviously I like it or I wouldn't have stuck around this long."

Throughout his years with the department Hansen has been lieutenant and captain, and he recalls some unforgettable fires. Like in the 1970s when Bomgaars Supply burned. Or the four bar fires, when the department could save only one, Hugo's, and the fire at the Le Mars Agra Center a couple years ago.

Since his career started Hansen has seen changes. In the past there weren't as many people up in the middle of the night, which allowed fires to really take hold before firefighters could get there.

"Now there are more people around at night, so fires are more visible," Hansen said. "Plus having night shifts in town, there's more people milling around all the time."

Hansen said he has seen everything from house fires to car accidents and all incidents can be stressful.

"It takes a special person to do some of that stuff," he said. "You pretty much see it all."

Even though he's officially retired, Hansen said he plans to keep his CPR and first aid certifications up to date because those are necessary for daily life.

As the city's public works superintendent he supervises 13 employees, who work together to care for stoplights, cemeteries, parks and other public facilities.

Hansen said one aspect of being a firefighter that he won't forget is the "water fighting" contests that he competed in throughout the years.

Water fights work like this: a 16-gallon keg is suspended on a cable using a pulley system and using the spray from a hose that keg is pushed back and forth across the cable. The winner is the one who can get it across the fastest.

One year he logged 2,600 miles water fighting, which in addition to being fun, is also a training exercise to learn to move water, Hansen said.

"It's hand-eye coordination when it comes to the water fight," he said.

The Le Mars fire house is filled with hundreds of trophies that firefighters have won water fighting throughout the years, and Hansen said his wife, Carol, has even done participated.

"Lots of towns do it. There's even a state contest 'Best Squirt in the State,'" Hansen said. "We've got down to the quarter finals a number of times."

Even though he won't be participating in water fights, Hansen said he's glad to have more time to pursue his hobbies of hunting, fishing, trap shooting and riding his motorcycle. He also has two sons to spend time with.

But he will miss firefighting, which is why he will keep the pager a little longer.

"It has it's rewards. If you save a life, that's a reward," Hansen said. "Hopefully somebody will come along and take my place."