Belleville man practices what he preaches through public service

Wes Krummrich was a busy man, operating a Belleville florist shop and helping to rear two daughters, but he always found time for public service.

“I remember telling my wife, ‘If somebody doesn’t do this, it’s not going to get done,’” he said.

Krummrich served 23 years on one school board and eight years on another school board. He has volunteered 39 years for East Side Fire Protection District and now is board president.

The Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts recently invited Krummrich to its annual meeting in Peoria and gave him a Trustees’ Outstanding Services Award. The unassuming 74-year-old was surprised by all the fuss.

“It’s kind of embarrassing for me,” he said, smiling. “I don’t do this for the notoriety or glory or pats on the back.”

Krummerich is content working in the office at B Street Engine House, one of two East Side fire stations. The district covers nearly 11 square miles in and around East Belleville and Shiloh.

Krummrich doesn’t actually fight fires anymore, leaving that to the younger generation, but sometimes he shows up on the scene — just because.

“I really admire him for (his dedication),” said his wife, Sandy, 72, a retired math and science teacher at High Mount School in Swansea. “He’s not a complainer. He’s a doer.

“He gets aggravated when people complain. I’ve heard him say many times, ‘If you’re not happy about something, do something about it, run for office or volunteer for an organization.’”

East Side Secretary Merle Aukamp nominated Krummrich for the state award, noting his vast experience helps other trustees make better decisions.

In particular, Aukamp gives Krummrich credit for providing firefighters with the latest safety equipment, whether radios for communication or breathing apparatus.

“He has a sincere appreciation for what firefighters contribute to our community and to society at large,” said Aukamp, 82, of Belleville, a retired hospital administrator.

Krummrich attended two years of college before going to work for his father’s cousin at Bob’s Flowers. He later became the owner and retired after 44 years.

Krummrich served 23 years on the Whiteside School District board and eight years on the Belleville Township High School District board. He became a firefighter in 1976, following in the footsteps of his brother, Roger.

“We got dirty a lot,” Krummrich said. “We’d get up at 3 o’clock in the morning and answer alarms. (Problems) could be as small as an electrical outage, but there were house fires and business fires. We got calls for numerous automobile accidents and extractions.”

Krummrich served as assistant fire chief and fire chief before St. Clair County Board appointed him to the East Side board in 1998. He witnessed much tragedy but never got hurt in the line of duty.

One of his saddest cases was a mobile-home fire in Mascoutah, whose firefighters had requested backup. Out of five fatalities, two were small children.

“Your heart wrenches for (fire victims),” Krummrich said. “You do what you can to ease the pain. It’s better now because the Red Cross provides some help with housing. But fire always displaces people. It’s always unpleasant.”

Over the years, volunteerism took time away from Krummich’s family life and caused him to miss some of his daughters’ activities.

“He always put his family first, so therefore I never really got upset with him,” his wife said. “There were a lot of evenings when we were alone, but I never felt neglected, and I was always able to occupy my time. I always had hobbies.”

Today, daughters Lisa Quandt and Shelly Schaefer both work as teachers and stay active in the community.

“I think (the importance of public service) rubbed off on them, and I’m proud of that,” Krummrich said.

In recent years, many fire departments have struggled to attract young people because of the time commitment and training requirements.

Krummrich hopes the publicity surrounding his state award will help the cause.

“If we can get one person to stop by their local fire station and think about volunteering,” he said, “then it will all be worth it.”

This story was originally published July 19, 2015 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Belleville man practices what he preaches through public service."