Luke Luther was named firefighter of the year at the Park Rapids Fire Department firefighters’ banquet on April 23.
Previous firefighter of the year Andy Trudeau presented the trophy to Luther.
“He is a leader when it comes to this fire department,” Firefighter Crystal Krautkremer commented. “He comes early and stays late during events or calls. He utilizes our kitchen and makes sure our bellies are full; he was instrumental in helping design our kitchen remodel. He has been a key player in creating a feature wall in the meeting room as well as the partition wall for our workout room. We are proud of the work you have done.”
Volunteer firefighters who received certificates at the banquet for reaching milestones with the department during 2020-22 included Luther, Trudeau, Chad Grande and Joe Carlson, five years; Alex Torkelson, Crystal Krautkremer and Kasey Krautkremer, 10 years; Ben Cumber and Travis Little, 15 years; Gene Girtz and Virgil Eskola, 30 years.
The department also honored its retirees: Girtz with a total of 30 years of service, Eskola with 31 and former Chief Terry Long with 23 years.
ADVERTISEMENT
