For the last 50 years, Ron Franzen has dedicated countless hours of service to the Fort Atkinson Fire Department as fire chief. Franzen first joined the department in 1971 and was elected as chief in 1974 and will be honored with a special celebration on Sunday, April 21. The celebration will also recognize the 125th anniversary of the local fire department. (Zakary Kriener photo)
Fort Atkinson FD to celebrate pair of milestones
By Zakary Kriener
The Fort Atkinson Firefighter’s Association will celebrate a pair of notable milestones next weekend, including its 125th anniversary and the 50th year of service for Ron Franzen as chief.
“I think the biggest thing that’s kept me around is the people and the support,” said Franzen, who will be stepping down from his role as chief this year, but not stepping away from his volunteer service to the area fire department. “I’ve made a lot of good friends over these years here and have also appreciated the teamwork that we have achieved from our own department and with the other area fire departments and emergency responders. That’s an important part of making a small-town fire department work.”
To honor both Franzen’s tenure and the department’s history, the Fort Atkinson Firefighter’s Association will hold a celebration from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, April 21, at the Fort Atkinson Community Center. Established in 1987, the Fort Atkinson FD has officially been around for 127 years, but was unable to celebrate until now due to challenges from the pandemic and its aftermath.