Madisen Sutherland pins a Grand Island Fire Department badge on her husband, Sam, Tuesday afternoon at Fire Station 1. He’s holding one of their two children, 5-month-old Shiloh.
At a Grand Island Fire Department ceremony Tuesday, Riley Gaudreault, Drew Morris and Sam Sutherland received their black helmets, making them full-fledged firefighters.
The three young men were introduced in a broadcast Tuesday morning from Grand Island City Hall. Later in the day, they were presented with their helmets and their badges in a ceremony at Fire Station 1.
During their six-month training period, they wore red helmets, signifying that they were firefighters in training.
In the telecast, Fire Chief Cory Schmidt thanked Mayor Roger Steele and members of the city council “not only for their leadership, but also their support of the fire department.
Fire Prevention Division Chief Fred Hotz, left, administers the oath of office Tuesday to Grand Island’s newest firefighters Tuesday afternoon at Fire Station 1. From left are Drew Morris, Riley Gaudreault and Sam Sutherland.
“The fire department is able to provide a high level of service to our community because the city has chosen to invest in three critical areas,” Schmidt said. “Those areas are quality fire stations, modern equipment, including fire trucks and ambulances, and most importantly, great people.”
Members of the fire department pride themselves on being one large family, Schmidt said.
“We may not all look the same or have the same background but we share a united common purpose, and our purpose is to serve others during their time of need,” Schmidt said.
Don’t let the name of the department fool you, he said.
“Even though we’re the Grand Island Fire Department, our department responds to a variety of emergencies,” Schmidt said. “As a group we respond to hazardous material responses, emergency medical responses, fires of all types, confined space and technical rescue and much, much more.”
The department is always looking for “quality candidates that have certain characteristics and traits.” But they don’t have to have specialized skills and training, he said.
“We’re willing to train those that have the right attitude, character, work ethic and moral values needed to become a great and successful Grand Island Fire Department firefighter,” Schmidt said.
The new firefighters spoke during the telecast.
“Every day in our job we get to experience something different and learn something new, and I am honored to work with such dedicated and knowledgeable coworkers,” Morris said. “I truly believe I have one of the best jobs in the world.”
Mike Gaudreault of Gering pins a Grand Island Fire Department badge on his son, Riley, Tuesday afternoon at Fire Station 1. At left is Drew Morris, another new firefighter.
Gaudreault, a native of Gering, joined the Gering Volunteer Fire Department in 2018. He “quickly began looking to make it a career,” he said.
“I chose to become part of the Grand Island Fire Department due to the city’s size, benefits and the department’s focus on training and preparedness,” Gaudreault said. “My passion for being a firefighter/paramedic comes from no two days ever being the same. I also get to work with and learn from some of the most highly trained professional firefighters in the country, using some of the most modern equipment. I look forward to growing in my career while serving the citizens of Grand Island.”
Sutherland lives in Kearney, where he continues to work for the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department.
“The Grand Island Fire Department was the perfect opportunity for me to pursue my passion without having to uproot my family,” Sutherland said. “Being a firefighter is truly the best job in the world. Every day I am presented with new challenges and new opportunities to provide care and compassion to the citizens of Grand Island. I get to work and learn from some of the best professional firefighters and medics in the state and have no doubt that this is where I am supposed to be. I look forward to serving the Grand Island community for many more years to come.”
At the helmet and badge ceremony, Schmidt noted that it’s tough to get hired by the Grand Island Fire Department. The process is rigorous, he said, but the three new employees have earned the right to wear black helmets.
What makes a firefighter courageous, Schmidt said, is a willingness to tackle tough tasks.
“Firefighters are willing to risk everything to save a total stranger,” Schmidt said.
In the invocation, Capt. Jim Hale said that firefighters sometimes have hard times. He asked the Lord to help with those tough times, to help firefighters be accountable to each other and to stay humble.
Schmidt said firefighters have to lean on each other, especially during the hard times.
Drew Morris watches as his badge is pinned on his uniform.
Morris, 28, is a firefighter/paramedic. Originally from Rapid City, S.D., he moved to Grand Island in 2013.
As an employee of NorthWestern Energy, he obtained his EMT certification. While attending paramedic school, he worked for the Aurora Fire Department. He received his associate’s degree from Central Community College in Grand Island. He and his wife, Mandi, have a five-month-old daughter, Mylah.
Gaudreault, 20, is a firefighter/paramedic. Growing up, he was active in sports and had a passion for the outdoors. He was an all-conference Legion baseball player and an Eagle Scout. He earned his emergency medical technician license in October 2020 and went on to obtain his paramedic license in July 2021, at the age of 19. He holds an associate’s degree in emergency medical services from Western Nebraska Community College in Scottsbluff.
Sutherland, 25, is an EMT. Born at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan, he graduated from high school in Treynor, Iowa. He earned his EMT license in 2020.
Sutherland and his wife, Madisen, are 2017 graduates of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. They were married during an April 2018 blizzard in Elm Creek. They have two children, Sophia, 2, and Shiloh, five months.