Kris Kauffman has been serving Bloomington residents as a volunteer firefighter for more than 20 years. He started in June 1999 at Fire Station 4 and is thrilled to be at the new Station 4 during its opening months for his full-time assignment. He previously worked for a private industrial fire company and as a fire-medic for St. Paul’s Fire Department. He also serves as a fire-medic for the Bloomington Police Department’s Emergency Response Unit.
Why firefighting? Service runs in the Kauffman family. “My father was a WWII veteran who was present for and aided in the liberation of Dachau and Buchenwald,” Kauffman shared. “He was also in the Battle of the Bulge. Based on his experiences and advice, I decided on the fire service.”
Kauffman’s high school sweetheart, Kate, and their children Tyler, Olivia and Hailey are very supportive of his service.
To others considering a career in fire service, Kauffman offers the following advice. “Firefighting is the greatest blue-collar, customer service job in the world but you will need to dig deep and strive to be better every day. The best thing though is you never know what you’re going to do or see on any given day.”
Kauffman’s fire safety tips
Stay and look while you cook and don’t charge your phone in bed or on any soft surface. It can be dangerous. Phones can get very warm, cords can become damaged and the wires can break, causing a fire to start.
