Jack Koller named the Cornbelt Firefighter of the Year for 2022

By Brett McMahon

The 2022 Cornbelt Fire Protection District Firefighter of the Year is Jack Koller.

Serving the community has a deep family tie for Koller, whose dad, John is the current chief and his great-grandfather also served the department.

The honor is a special one for Koller, but he’s also quick to point out “as far as I am concerned, any person on this department could win this award at any time. I happen to be the one that was recognized this year.”

Koller has great respect for all members of the department and believes he is constantly learning from them and growing in the trade.

A three-year member of the department, Koller, who was selected by his peers for the honor said he’s learned so much by working with the Cornbelt Department.

“Honestly I think I am the one following the example of those that were here before me,” he said. “Many men and women have been a part of Cornbelt over the years and the bar was set high from the beginning. I just want to keep the standard high, help as much as I can, and be a part of our department getting better every day.”

The typical day at the station starts at 7 a.m. with a series of procedures that include preparing trucks, cleaning the firehouse, and scheduled training while answering calls throughout the course of the day. Although the process is structured, Koller points out that no two days are exactly the same, which gives the job an element of excitement. Over the past year, he completed a seven-week training that was a combined 370 hours as part of the Basic Operations Firefighter Academy at the Illinois Fire Institute, focusing on all aspects of fire service.

From a young age, Koller said he and his brothers were encouraged to be servants by their parents. He was exposed to the fire service early on and was ready to pursue a position in the field.

“I always saw how much satisfaction the firefighters got from being able to provide help to those in need,” he said. “I was hooked at a pretty young age from that experience. I love being able to serve the community and help no matter what is needed.”

Looking ahead, does Koller have aspirations of becoming chief and following in his father’s footsteps?

“For today I am just blessed to be a firefighter for sure,” he said. “As the years go by I am going to work hard and try to do my best to be great at my job and share what I know with others. If that leads to an opportunity to be an officer or even the fire chief one day that would be great.”

Still, his focus at present is on a degree in Fire Science Technology. Despite the fact it may not technically allow him to advance within the department, he views the degree as just another tool that will allow him to do the best job possible.

In terms of advice for anyone who might consider a career in fire service, Koller is like a sponge, soaking in everything he can from co-workers and education.

He said “I would say to attach yourself to someone that has a passion for firefighting and can share their knowledge with you. After that understand that there are endless amounts of training opportunities out there and you should do as much of that as possible.”