Merrill Firefighter/Paramedic Jacob Aumann is pinned shortly before his one-year anniversary
TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
On Monday, July 12, Jacob Aumann was officially “pinned” in a Badge Pinning Ceremony outside the Merrill Fire Department.
Firefighter/Parmedic Aumann joined the Merrill Fire Family on July 20, 2020, following the retirement of Firefighter/Paramedic Chris Clabots, and became the 188th member of the Merrill Fire Department.
“Jacob brings a wealth of knowledge and life experience to the department,” Fire Chief Josh Klug said in a press release following Aumann’s hiring.
“Prior to starting with the Merrill Fire Department, Aumann most recently served the Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department. Before that, he was a member of the Plover Fire Department and the South Area Fire Emergency District. While Jacob has previous experience as a Firefighter/Paramedic, he also served as a police officer for the Spencer and Neillsville Police Departments. In addition to his service to local communities, Aumann has also served our country as an Infantryman in the Wisconsin Army National Guard [from 2012-2018]. Jacob even has previous experience as a music teacher before joining the protective service field.”
“Firefighter/Paramedic Aumann is well qualified for his position as a State Certified Firefighter I & II, Wisconsin Licensed EMT – Paramedic, and Candidate Physical Ability Test certified. He also holds Incident Command System (ICS) 100, 200, 700 and 800 certifications. For additional EMS training, Aumann is ACLS, PALS, and PHTLS certified. Jacob received most of that training at Mid-State and NTC Technical Colleges. Prior to college, Aumann was a 2005 graduate of Neillsville High School,” he said. Following high school, Jacob attended Chippewa Valley Technical College to obtain his Associates Degree in Law Enforcement.
Klug explained the hiring process: “Jacob was the top candidate out of an original pool of 15 applications. This was a significant increase from the previous hiring process in 2019 which only yielded three applicants. With the high number of applicants, the Fire Department had to narrow down the field of viable candidates with an intensive selection process. The process included sorting the 15 applicants that were closest to meeting all of the qualifications of the position. After evaluating applications and resumes, eight applicants were selected for interviews with a Fire Department panel consisting of the Department’s four Battalion Chiefs, the local Union President, and the manager of Emergency Department at [then] Good Samaritan Hospital. The panel recommended four candidates after the interviews for future consideration. Those four candidates then took an online test that took a couple hours to complete. The same four candidates were then interviewed by the Merrill Police & Fire Commission on June 18, 2020. On the morning of June 19, 2020, the four candidates were back at the Fire Station for one last interview with the Fire Chief and his panel. Jacob Aumann was offered the position after all of the evaluations, interviews, and testing. With conditional offer of employment accepted, Aumann then had a background check, drug screening, and occupational physical performed.”
During his initial weeks with the Merrill Fire Department, he completed Department orientation trainings and was assigned to B shift and started on his regularly scheduled 48-hour shift, Battalion Chief Phillip Skoug said. “Firefighter/Paramedic Ross Witucki was Jacob’s assigned mentor and, along with the other members of the shift and Department, assisted with Jacob’s probationary training.”
Aumann and his wife, Vanessa, and their two children, Kaleb and Laila, moved from Rosholt to Merrill when he accepted the position.
Traditionally, a Badge Pinning Ceremony for him would have been held in the summer of 2020, not long after he joined the Fire Department. However, due to COVID, that was delayed until July 12, 2021, as Aumann neared his one-year anniversary with the Department and the end of his probationary period.
At this Badge Pinning Ceremony, the Fire Chief and Battalion Chiefs, including Battalion Chief Phillip Skoug and Battalion Chief Tadd Wegener, Jacob’s Shift Commander, shared about Jacob until the moment of honor, when his wife, Vanessa, officially and ceremoniously pinned his badge.
Battalion Chief Skoug spoke of Aumann’s contributions and character since he joined the Merrill Fire Department. “In working with Jacob for the past year, his shift members were asked for a word to describe Jacob. The words used by his shift members described him as respectful, dedicated, mature, independent, shows a willingness to learn, and is self-motivated,” he said.
“Early on in his career, Jacob was willing to assist the Department as they had recently obtained the new EMS skill of Rapid Sequence Intubation,” Skoug continued. “Jacob had suggested coming up with a medication dosage chart for this skill, and he took the initiative to put this chart together as reference for the staff on the ambulances. This example has earned him positions on both the EMS and Facilities Division of the Department.”
“We are very excited to join the Merrill community. We know Merrill has so much to offer, which is why I decided to pursue a job with the Fire Department,” explained Aumann shortly after he was hired.
Jacob and his family enjoy biking, hiking, walking their dogs, and playing various types of games together, including board, video, and yard games. In addition, Jacob enjoys hunting, fishing, shooting at the range, and playing guitar.
“The Merrill Fire Department is very pleased and excited to have Jacob Aumann join their family. Please congratulate him on selection to his position as the 188th member of the Merrill Fire Department,” Chief Klug said back in 2020 in a news release announcing Aumann’s addition to the Department. “… We sincerely hope that the Merrill community welcomes Firefighter/Paramedic Jacob Aumann and his family with open arms and hospitality.”
The same sentiments hold true now, even though Aumann’s formal recognition was somewhat delayed. When a Firefighter/Paramedic joins the Department, he or she joins a family and a community. Aumann promises to be a fine addition.