By Fred Steiner

Dan Bowden claims he didn't have aspirations to be a fireman when he was a little boy. However, as he puts it: "Larry Core and Rich Johnson got after me to join the fire department soon after I was hired as Bluffton's wastewater plant operator." That was in 1977.
Bowden joined the department, stuck with it and 20 years ago was named Bluffton fire chief.
On Nov. 23, after 20 years as fire chief, Bowden announced his retirement as chief. The announcement was made during the Nov. 23 council meeting. His official retirement date is Jan. 1, 2010. The village appointed Jon Kinn as his replacement.
After Jan. 1, Bowden will continue on the department. But, when the pager rings he'll simply rush off to the fire station. He won't have to consider all the things that run through the mind of a fire chief going to a fire.
Things like: "If it is a structural fire what will we need to fight it? How many lives are involved? Home much manpower is needed? Is mutual aid from other departments needed? Where are the hydrants?" said the chief. "There's a lot of things that go through your mind in those three to four minutes when answering a fire call."
He says that firefighters are good at thinking on their feet as a result of all the situations they face.
So we asked: "Will you miss this?"
His answer is quick as he laughs: "I won't miss getting up in the middle of the night when it is zero outside."
We also asked: "What makes someone become a firefighter:
Bowden answers: "Helping people. It's in your blood." He added that the "firefighters put their lives on the line everything they leave the station."
The retiring chief says that firefighting is a team effort. That team involves the department, the Bluffton council, the mayor and the community. "It's not just me; it's everyone," he said.
When a firefighter's pager announces a fire Bluffton firefighters usually pull out of the station within four to five minutes after the call is received according to Bowden. That time is even quicker they are responding to a smaller fire.
Today all fire calls are dispatched through the county via 911. Calls are answered by the sheriff's office and routed to Bluffton.
"We average about 100 runs a year," said Bowden. "Depending upon the run, from 10 to 15 firefighters respond."
Each time the department answers a call the minimum expense to the village is around $200. That includes the cost of fuel and labor. Firefighters receive $10 an hour.
When Bowden joined the department the newest piece of equipment was the 1972 Ford pumper. (In 1994 it was donated to Apollo Career Center for fire training.) A new engine in 1972 might cost $125,000. Today, according to Bowden, that's in the $350,000 to $400,000 range.
Turnout gear averaged about $800 per fire fighter in 1972. Today, the average is $2,500 per fire fighter.
Recalling his career as fire chief, Bowden says that the most serious situation facing the department during his era wasn't even a fire - it was the flood of August 2007.
Bluffton's fire department covers an area of about 40 square miles. To the south it stops at Shifferly Road, to the west at State Route 696, to the north at the Putnam-Allen County Line Road and to the east Hancock County Road 12.