Sean C. Morgan
Firefighting is in Jared Huenergardt’s
blood.
He grew up around firefighters,
and going to work in the business
was as natural as breathing.
Huenergardt, a firefighter-paramedic
with the Sweet Home Fire
and Ambulance Distirict, was recognized
this month by the members
of his fire department as Firefighter
of the Year.
Huenergardt, 28, has been a
full-time employee for four years.
He was an intern for 3½ years
while studying to be a paramedic.
He attended Linn-Benton Community
College and earned his EMT
certification. He finished his paramedic
certification at Lane Community
College. After earning his
certification, he left for a short time,
working for private ambulance services
in Beaverton and Woodburn
while waiting for a position to open
in Sweet Home so he could return
home.
“I always wanted to come back,
but I had to work,” Huenergardt
said. He lived in Salem for a year
while working in Woodburn.
“Eventually, I hated not living
here, so we just bought a house and
I commuted to Woodburn,” Huenergardt
said. “I love being able to
drive down the block and get groceries
and see your family.”
Huenergardt is married to
Becky, and they have one son, Jaxon,
3 months.
“I don’t want to raise him in
the big city or away from family,”
Huenergardt said. His friends are
here, and he is active in his church,
Holley Christian. “I have enough invested
here with friends and family.
This is home.”
Huenergardt’s father, Dennis,
has been a volunteer with the department
for 25 years. He is retired from
the U.S. Forest Service but remains
active with the Sweet Home Fire
and Ambulance District. He fought
wildland fires for 25 to 30 years.
Huenergardt grew up with his
father fighting fires, telling stories
and smelling of old Nomex pants,
Huenergardt said. He respected his
father and before regulations prohibited
it, rode with him on a tender.
An old photo shows Huenergardt
helping mop up a fire as a child.
It was clear early on what Huenergardt’s
career choice would be.
Nowadays, firefighters must be
paramedics
also,
he said, so
he went to
work on the
certification.
Huene
r g a r d t
enjoys the
variety that
comes with
the job,
and he’s
grown to
enjoy the medical part of the job as
well.
“Every shift is different,” he
said. “It’s exciting, and there are always
new challenges.”
He enjoys helping out and
training new people at the department,
he said, and he’s thankful to
those who came before, helped and
trained him.
The award was “pretty shocking,”
Huenergardt said. “I’m very
grateful for it because everyone on
that list is well-deserving of it.”
“Jared is a verity consistent employee,
very level-headed, involved
in different stuff around here,” said
Fire Chief Mike Beaver. He is involved
in day-to-day and community
events the department is involved
in.
“He’s a hard-working, very
friendly, conscientious person, kind
of a perfectionist,” Beaver said.
“People recognized his commitment.”
Two men were presented with
medals during the awards ceremony,
held on March 10.
Greg Mahler, who also won
additional awards, received the district’s
Medal of Gallantry.
Last year, his mother had a cardiac
arrest, Beaver said. “He was
first on the scene and did CPR on
her till the paramedics got there. He
saved her life.”
Nicholas Tyree received the
Citizen’s Medal for a similar situation.
Passing by, he saw someone
on the ground, Beaver said. It was
a 30-year-old in cardiac arrest.
Tyree performed CPR on the individual
until medics arrived, and
Tyree saved the life of a complete
stranger.
“They both were on scene before
the responding crews, doing
CPR,” said Battalion Chief Shannon
Pettner. They saved lives.