Balder’s attitude, mentoring role exemplify service with Fire District 1
Retiring Holmes District Fire #1 Chief Scott Balder, left, is all smiles as he chats with fellow fire district members Kyle Miller and Reuben Miller during his retirement party at Harvest Ridge.
Scott Balder stood in the Shreiner Barn at Harvest Ridge near Millersburg, surrounded by the many people with whom he has worked for the past three decades as a member of Holmes Fire District #1, the latter portion of which he served as the fire chief.
Balder wore a relaxed smile as they celebrated his retirement from the district, well-wishers chatting about former memories, discussing what he would do now and basking in the glow of a career that has had many fond memories, as well as many harrowing ones with people facing danger.
Balder said there was no reason to make a big fuss about his retirement, that many people retire every day, but not everyone has made the connections and built community relations in the same way a fire chief does.
Building those relationships with his fellow firefighters and EMT personnel, as well as with the community, be it individuals or people in the many organizations he connected with, is what Balder said he will cherish more than anything among his 30 years of service to the county.
“It’s like a big, old family, not just with our department, but with neighboring departments and the people we serve,” Balder said. “I’ve been fortunate to have met a lot of good people and learned a lot from the people. A lot of the older guys who don’t run much anymore taught me a lot, and they are the ones who have brought the department to where it is today. I just did my best to continue what they started.”
Balder himself became a mentor to the younger members who came along every year. He said with firefighting changing so much every single year, there is a need to teach incoming personnel, and that was something he felt called to do during his tenure as chief. He also said even though he is retiring, he will not leave the department completely.
“I’m going to still come out and help, whenever, wherever and however I can,” Balder said. “This kind of thing gets in your blood, and it is always about serving other people the best you can. It has been a continual time of growth and learning for me. Every day it seemed like I learned something new about the job. Every run is different, every challenge is different, and that was one thing I really like about my job. It kept me thinking on my toes, making split-second decisions, all the time.”
Balder spent much of his time as chief going throughout the community and speaking to people about safety issues, fire prevention and safety, and keeping the department connected to the community, and vice-versa. He said reciprocal respect has been amazing to watch grow.
Balder said doing those things and a multitude of other daily tasks can be done by any team member.
“The term is only a title,” Balder said of being chief. “As a firefighter, you can do as much as the chief does. You just have to be willing to serve others. I have seen so many of our people do just that, and I have always said that you are only as good as the people around you.”
The people around him presented Balder with a crafted rifle as a retirement thanks, along with a number of other gifts.
Many of the people he has worked with over the years were on hand to offer their thanks at his retirement.
Kyle Miller has worked with Balder for years and talked about his rookie year when he sent Balder and others crashing to the back of the ambulance.
“We were doing squad duty years ago in the 1990s, and I was on with Scott and Rob Clark,” Miller said. “We got a call to Sycamore Run, and Rob and Scott were in the back.”
That set the stage for Miller’s vivid memory of what came next. A sticky throttle in the old ambulance was something he wasn’t used to, and when Miller throttled up, the vehicle took off, sending Balder and Clark careening to the back of the vehicle.
“He never said anything, but the look he gave me in the rearview mirror spoke volumes,” Miller said.
Caleb Taylor, firefighter and EMT, came along later in Balder’s career and said the veteran chief made his entry into serving the department a pleasure.
Taylor’s father was a firefighter for years, so he grew up around the department and new Balder for years before joining. He said seeing Balder serve the community was always an inspiration to him.
“He was definitely a mentor for me and showed me the ropes on how to be professional and to do my job the best I could, and he has been great from the financial end of the department too,” Taylor said.
Reuben Miller, paramedic/firefighter, said when he came on eight years ago, Balder made him feel at ease.
“He was always there for us, no matter what,” Miller said. “That meant so much to all of us.”
Balder’s job has meant some sacrifices, especially for his family, and he now plans to make them a priority in every way. He said he also plans to get in plenty of hunting and fishing.
“My family put up with me being gone a lot of the time, so now it is time to return the favor,” Balder said, referring to his wife Teresa, son Logan and daughter Morganne