Two Meridian fire captains suffer life-threatening events

A couple weeks ago, two captains from the Meridian Fire Department had major health scares.

A GoFundMe was made by the firefighters’ union on Sept. 17 for two Meridian firefighters — captains Daniel Krenz and Garrett Hirsch — who have recently suffered significant, life-threatening medical events.

According to Derek Nelson, President of the Meridian Professional Firefighters Local 4627, the two endured life-threatening incidents within days of each other in early September. Krenz was diagnosed with an aortic dissection — a life-threatening medical emergency that is typically deadly — after going to a Nampa Fire Station with abdominal pain. Hirsch suffered a cardiac arrest at a pickleball tournament and happened to be out with a coworker, who knew exactly what to do and where to take Hirsch for treatment.

”If not for that, then it’s a totally different outcome,” Nelson said.

The two captains have been discharged from the hospital and are recovering in their homes. It’s unclear when either of them will be well enough to return to work.

”From the perspective of our membership, at least, I think this was quite a wake-up call,” Nelson said.

The two captains survived their medical emergencies because they’re both informed and trained on what to do in emergency scenarios and were surrounded by the right people in their time of need, Nelson said. Those minutes at the start of a medical emergency are critical and getting help quickly is exactly why both Hirsch and Krenz are alive today, Nelson said.

The nationwide and local “fire family” is a close-knit community, Nelson said — one that often receives requests for aid from other departments. Up until now, Nelson said the Meridian Fire Department has been fairly crisis free.

The department has well over 100 firefighters, Nelson said, 24 line captains and seven support captains. Hirsch and Krenz are line captains. According to Stephany Galbreaith, Meridian communications manager, the Meridian Fire Department has three captains who are available to step in should another captain be out.

Although those captains are available and helping, the Meridian Fire Department is in a more difficult staffing position right now, Galbreaith said. Each captain is assigned to a station and a shift and typically works a standard 48-hour shift (48 hours on and 96 hours off). No one is working overtime to cover for Hirsch and Krenz and as long as no one else within the crews are off due to an illness or injury, the department can cover for Hirsch and Krenz without anyone working overtime, Galbreaith said.

”When tragedy strikes, whether it’s a hurricane or it’s a medical emergency that’s impacting just one family, you see the real goodwill of people. You see your community and see your village,” Nelson said.

Now, Nelson says, he sees his village. Since the GoFundMe page opened up several weeks ago, over $11,000 has been raised for Hirsch and Krenz. The funds will be distributed evenly between the two captains.