Colfax Rescue Squad director, Don Knutson, resigns after 34 years of community service
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DON KNUTSON
By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — Talk about cataclysmic change for both the Colfax Rescue Squad — and for the director of the Colfax Rescue Squad, Don Knutson.
After working in Emergency Medical Services for 34 years, Knutson tendered his resignation December 4.
Knutson is 55 years old. Over half of his life has been in service to the Colfax Rescue Squad.
As Knutson put it, resigning as director of the Colfax Rescue Squad will free up about 100 hours of his time each week — if not 120 hours.
As is the case all over the state, rural ambulance services have been experiencing difficulty in hiring enough EMTs, whether full-time or part-time, to make sure there is adequate coverage.
State law requires ambulance services in Wisconsin to provide coverage 24 hours per day.
Oddly enough, Wisconsin law also requires townships to provide ambulance service, but villages are not required to provide ambulance service.
Due to the lack of EMTs, and to ensure there is 24 hours of coverage, Knutson has been covering many of the shifts himself.
“Some of the decisions I made were not always in the best interests of myself or the EMTs, but they were always made with the best interests in mind of the people we served,” he said.
So what is Knutson going to do with all of the extra free time?
Not to worry.
Knutson’s resignation will become effective January 1 — and on January 2, he starts a new position as clerk-treasurer for the Village of Wheeler.
Knutson said he is looking forward to having windows in his office in the Wheeler Village Hall.
“I can get in the truck and plow snow if I have to, too. And I can run a lawn mower, although first time on the zero-turn might be kind of interesting. I did it for the Rescue Squad (in Colfax and for the Village of Colfax). I plowed snow, and I helped put up Christmas lights. Same philosophy. I’ll go where I’m asked,” he said.
Seminary
In addition to taking on the clerk-treasurer position, Knutson has enrolled at Wartburg Seminary under the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries (TEEM) program, which will allow him, while working at his own pace, to become an ordained minister in two to four years.
A few months ago, Knutson began working as a Synodically Authorized Minister (SAM) in the Colfax Rural Lutheran Parish.
He has been attending lay school for the SAM position.
Colfax Rural Lutheran, like many rural parishes, has been experiencing immense difficulty in finding a pastor.
Knutson has always been actively involved at his church, Holden Lutheran, including serving as a Sunday school teacher.
Colfax Rural Lutheran Parish is made up of Holden Lutheran, North Running Valley Lutheran and Norton Lutheran churches.
So while Knutson will no longer be helping patients, he will still be helping people, both as clerk-treasurer and as a SAM and a minister-in-training to be ordained.
There are other advantages as well.
“I never knew the school district gave passes to pastors for sporting events. I haven’t gone before this because the signal sometimes doesn’t always come through (for ambulance calls). So now I have a pass. I want to go to some sporting events. I’m not saying I will be able to go to all of them, but I will be able to get to some,” Knutson said.
“I will have some flexibility in my life, which I have not had in a long time,” he said.
In 2004, Knutson was instrumental in starting the graduation requirement for CPR certification for graduating seniors at Colfax.
“In 2022, that was 18 years of say, 55 kids per year, that was a lot of kids who learned CPR. I always said that was my biggest accomplishment of getting that program started. The school was wonderful to work with,” he said.
Because of Knutson’s efforts, there are now more than 1,200 people living in various communities who know CPR if someone needs it.
“I hope I am remembered for putting the people first,” Knutson said.
CRS
Knutson became an EMT in 1990.
In 2003, he was hired by the Village of Colfax as a Limited Term Employee to be the full-time ambulance director. In 2004, he became the permanent ambulance director.
“We didn’t have people to go out on calls, and it was a way to guarantee there were people to go out on calls,” he said.
“Then I could spend a lot of time developing the department. And the other little hats. The emergency government plan, the emergency plan for the village. Health officer for the village. We are supposed to have an infection control plan according to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). When the other departments heard I had an infection control plan, they wanted to see it. I suspect there are quite a few inspection control plans for ambulances based on what I wrote. I followed OSHA guidelines. I followed state EMS guidelines. I followed Department of Health guidelines,” Knutson said.
“There have been some really good people who have come through Colfax (as an EMT) who have gone on to become medical doctors, or physician’s assistants or paramedics,” Knutson said.
“My daughter said being a pastor might be a good retirement job for me. I can’t disagree with my daughter. I have learned not to disagree with my wife and my daughter. I am out-numbered in my house,” Knutson said with a smile.
Going through the TEEM program will not interfere with the Wheeler clerk-treasurer position, because Knutson can work at his own pace on-line.
“I will have a mentor and a support team (for becoming a pastor),” he said.
“I applaud the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) for thinking outside of the box. They are short on people in an avenue that does not pay very well,” Knutson said.
“It is part of my makeup to help people. This is just another way to help people,” he said.
TEEM is an apprentice program for pastors, just in the same way that plumbers and electricians have an apprenticeship program, Knutson said.
Knutson noted that his EMT license is valid for an additional two years but said he does not know if he will renew the license after that.
“Once you get rid of something, it is hard to get it back,” he said.
“I can renew it online. It is continuing ed. If in two years, (the clerk-treasurer’s job and the seminary is going well) I don’t know if I will renew my EMT license. You can never say never, though” Knutson said.
Ambulance service
The Colfax Rescue Squad is owned by the Village of Colfax, and eight other municipalities subscribe to the service: the Villages of Elk Mound and Wheeler and the Towns of Colfax, Elk Mound, Grant, Otter Creek, Tainter and Sand Creek.
Unlike an ambulance district, the municipalities do not have equal representation in operating the ambulance service.
True to his philosophy of serving people, even though he was not required to, Knutson always held an annual meeting for the municipalities served by the Colfax Rescue Squad so the municipalities would receive a financial report for the year, a budget for the next year, and a report on the operations of the ambulance service.
Community support
As soon as Knutson announced his resignation via a Facebook post, the community commenced an outpouring of appreciation for Knutson’s years of service and best wishes for the future.
Knutson’s selfless dedication developed the ambulance service from an all-volunteer ambulance service that EMTs would leave their jobs in Colfax to help people — to a service where there is help available 24-hours per day at the ambulance station.
The Colfax Rescue Squad became even more essential to the community after the clinic in Colfax closed in 2016.
Without a clinic in town, people have shown up at the Colfax Rescue Squad’s door in the early stages of a stroke or a heart attack or some other medical emergency.
Knutson said he was within a hair’s breadth of getting another clinic in Colfax when the COVID-19 pandemic erupted.
Mentor
Dawn Roberts, who has served as an EMT for the Colfax Rescue Squad for many years, had this to say:
“Don was a great teacher. When I started at the rescue squad, he would let you be the third crew member for a while before he threw you in the deep end of the pool to prove to yourself that you can swim.
“He was always close by during these runs, a safety net just within reach. He was always trying to get EMTs the most up-to-date skills to help our patients.
“One of the skills was the use of nitrous oxide for pain control. This would allow the patient to control their own pain and save them a second ambulance bill for a paramedic intercept for pain control reasons.
“I always enjoyed working with him, and the debrief after ambulance runs to talk through what went well and what could have been done better or different. I think it is the end of an Era.”
Colfax schools
Knutson worked closely with the Colfax school district as well.
William C. Yingst Jr., superintendent of the Colfax school district, said in a statement to the Colfax Messenger,
“Don Knutson has been a great public servant for his entire career. His ties to the School District of Colfax have been a wonderful partnership for the betterment of our students, staff, and community.
“Don has always been a ‘safety first’ person and advocate in regard to school and public safety. He has provided CPR and First Aid training for our staff and students for several years at no cost to the school district.
“I have personally worked with Don on school safety planning for many years. Don has taken a personal role in providing training for the school’s Emergency Response Team (ERT.) He planned training scenarios for the ERT and would conduct drills throughout the school year.
“Don has always been the epitome of the professional EMS Director. He has always been invested in our community.”
Yingst went on to say, “Don, Thank you for all of your outstanding years of service to Colfax and the surrounding area. You will always be a friend of our school. Your support of the school is appreciated more than words can adequately express. We wish you the very best as you continue your life of service. Again, THANK YOU, and you will be missed in your current role!”
