Jeremy Ratliff
Reporter
Thursday morning, nearly forty were in attendance for Merrill Fire Department’s official badge pinning ceremony, honoring the arrival of new Fire Chief Josh Klug and newly-hired Firefighter/EMT Daylan Enkers.
Enkers first day as the department’s 186th member (dating back to 1888) was Monday June 4. A DC Everest graduate, Daylan has served with several agencies prior to coming to Merrill, including service as a critical care transport paramedic with Wausau-Aspirus MedEvac.
Klug, a Merrill native and former MFD Lieutenant, was selected as the department’s 17th fire chief on April 30. Prior to returning to his hometown, Klug served as Deputy Chief with the Wausau Fire Department and previous chief of the Mosinee Fire Department.
As part of the celebration, a tradition MFD began in 2012 in welcoming new members, Battalion Chief Scott Krause spoke of the rich history behind the fire service badge and the tradition of the badge pinning ceremony which is shared by departments around the country. Friends, family members and department members joined both Klug and Enkers at the podium, as the two were introduced and recognized.