Four decades of service

Arlin Prothe remembers the spring of 1971 well.

He was 33 years old and working for Rhea Oil Company in Paola. He and his wife, Venita, had been living in town since 1965, which made him a prime recruiting target for Paola Fire Chief Bob Harris and volunteer firefighter Carl Buchman.

“They were looking for guys who worked in town,” Arlin said.

When Arlin signed up, he joined a volunteer department that featured 10 firefighters, three air packs and three trucks based out of the aging Paola City Hall building.

Now, more than 42 years later, Arlin is leaving that same department, except now it features 26 firefighters, air packs for all of them, and multiple vehicles stored in a three-year-old fire station. The firefighters also all now go through training to be certified as a Firefighter 1 or Firefighter 2.

The equipment and training may be more advanced, but Arlin said the dedication of the volunteer firefighters and family-like atmosphere of the department is the same now as it was when he first signed on. And even though he officially retired Sept. 15, Arlin still carries a radio, and he admits it’s difficult to stay home during a fire.

“I still get up when I hear the call, then I sit back down,” Arlin said.

Community members can personally thank Arlin for his service during a retirement ceremony and potluck dinner beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Paola American Legion. After more than four decades of service, Arlin has no shortage of stories to share about the fire department, and those who attend Sunday’s event will be able to hear them firsthand.

Arlin said two of the worst fires he can remember occurred just a few days apart. In December 1983, Arlin remembers responding to the Hadlock Cabinet fire next the Paola Free Library. The blaze was intense, but Don Hadlock was able to escape and recover from his injuries.

Just 10 days later, Arlin and Harris were the first two on the scene of the Coker building fire on the northwest corner of Park Square. Arlin remembers watching the flames being fueled by the gas tank of a Ford Mustang he saw in the basement. The fire was almost under control when they ran out of water from the truck, and Arlin remembers being overcome with smoke.

Four years later, Arlin recalls responding to one of Paola’s worst accidents — a hot asphalt explosion at J&J Metals in Paola that killed two employees and severely burned another.

Although Arlin has responded to some tragic scenes, including fatal vehicle accidents, he is thankful that the department never lost a firefighter in the line of duty. It’s something Venita also is thankful for, although she admits she’s not as worrisome as she used to be.

“When he first started, we’d have a bag at the back door, and I would help him put his gear on, and then I would stay up until he returned,” Venita said. “Now, I sometimes don’t even know he’s gone. I guess I mellowed out.”

Fire Chief Andy Martin and Assistant Fire Chief Bruce Hartig said Arlin’s experience has been a big help for the younger firefighters.

“I can’t think of a better role model than Arlin,” Martin said.

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