IDEAL TOWNSHIP — A group of heroes stepped up to help out one of their own in Ideal Township.
Craig Wallace, Ideal Township clerk, treasurer and fire chief, said at 42 years old he never thought he, as a first responder, would be driving himself to the hospital with arm pain thinking he was having a heart attack. On Feb. 8, that’s exactly what happened.
Working as an Ideal Township firefighter for the past 16 years, Wallace, who was promoted to chief in January, said he is used to being the one called on when others need help, not one to seek help from others for himself.
But others stepped in to help Wallace as he recovered from his heart attack.
So it is really nice when you do have a major thing happen, that somebody is out there to help you.
During the Ideal Township board meeting April 10, Wallace was presented with a check by Lakes Area Heroes for $1,000 to help with medical bills along with a promise from the group to help in any way it can with other needs. Former Ideal Township Fire Chief Rob Birkeland nominated Wallace for the assistance, Wallace said.
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Turning a negative situation into a positive learning lesson, Wallace started telling his story to friends and colleagues.
At the hospital with arm pain on Feb. 8, Wallace was being monitored when his blood/oxygen levels set off an alarm. His oxygen level was at 69%. An average healthy human maintains a blood/oxygen level between 95% and 100%. Anything below 92% is cause for concern.
Wallace was previously diagnosed with sleep apnea but did not start to use his continuous positive airway pressure called a CPAP machine until after his medical issue. A cardiologist told him a major factor in heart failure, right behind hereditary problems, was issues with sleeping.
“Just with us firemen, I told them the whole story and then the next thing I know, there's a couple of guys going out getting stress tests, and they're getting their blood pressure checked again,” Wallace said. “We're gonna get some extra exercise equipment in the hall now and that's kind of all stemming from this.”
The department will also expand a blood test for anyone over 40 years old during their annual physical to help fellow firefighters catch problems in the early stages, Wallace said.
The Ideal Township Fire Department looks forward to keeping its firefighters healthy and safe as they work to serve their community, Wallace said.
“All these fire departments around here — they are volunteer,” Wallace said. “So it is really nice when you do have a major thing happen, that somebody is out there to help you.”
Knowing firsthand how first responders are reluctant to ask for help is Isaiah Moengen, president of Lakes Area Heroes who grew up watching his dad help out his community.
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“Our organization was established last year,” Moengen said. “The goal is to raise funds to help support local emergency personnel and their families in times of need. I grew up in Crosslake, just a few miles down the road here on 16. My father was a fire department firefighter there for 23 years and that was kind of my passion behind it.”
Moengen said they are focusing on the heroes themselves and their families when they fall on hard times. He said Lakes Area Heroes is not an organization to just buy a piece of equipment and step away — they are there for the long run of a person's recovery.
“We want to be able to be that organization that brings the community together to support our local heroes,” Moengen said. “We want to empower everyday people to be heroes, for our heroes in all of those communities.”
More information on Lakes Area Heroes can be found on the group’s Facebook page .
TIM SPEIER, staff writer, can be reached on Twitter @timmy2thyme , call 218-855-5859 or email tim.speier@brainerddispatch.com .
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