Brian Roebke photo
Bill Bowers was recognized for 32 years of service to the Village of Wrightstown as a first responder and EMT by Village Administrator Travis Coenen at last week’s village board meeting.
Compiled by Brian Roebke
Editor
Whether you were coming into or leaving Wrightstown on Highway 96 on Wrightstown’s west side, you would be greeted by a County Rescue ambulance in the driveway, but that is no longer there.
The Village of Wrightstown recognized Bill Bowers for 32 years of service to the Village of Wrightstown as a first responder and EMT at last week’s village board meeting.
When Bowers started as a volunteer first responder in 1993, the village didn’t have a defibrillator right away. As the program grew in the community, they got one and all the members would take turns with it at their house to take on calls before the ambulance.
Once the ambulance was a part of the village, the members would take turns with it, mostly with it being at Tammy Aerts’ house before finding a permanent home at Bill’s home on Main Street. Bowers became EMT certified in 1998. With this accomplishment he has helped many lives.
In the early years of Bowers’ time the town was much smaller. He knew that there was a good chance he would know that person he was going to help or at least know who they were related to. As the town got bigger so did the number of calls.
One year Bowers kept track of how many calls he went on which turned out to be around 270 in just a year’s time. Throughout the years he has been there to help classmates, friends, neighbors, family and complete strangers without any hesitation. He has always taken his time as an EMT very seriously.
At first when he had the ambulance at the house, he wasn’t going anywhere since he didn’t want to miss a call. That eventually changed to him taking it with him if his daughters had an event in town. His family will tell you if you’re with him in the car or squad when that pager goes off, there isn’t time to drop you off, you’re going along. Everyone was welcome to park in the driveway, but your keys better be in the car because there is a good chance Bowers was going to take it or move it to go to a call.
If you ask Bowers what his favorite thing about being an EMT is, he would tell you about the time he got to help deliver a baby, and he still gets a Christmas card from that family every year. During his time he has sat with that ambulance at so many community events, Friday night football games, Breakfast on the Farm, Bike to the Beat, and numerous parades.
“I can’t tell you how many people over the years have come up to me and said thank your dad for me, or I knew it was going to be ok because Bill was on his way,” said his daughter, Amanda Mollen. “Once I seen that Bill was there, I knew it everything was going to be alright.”
She said her Dad has never done this for praise, and his favorite saying is, “I’m just here to help.”
He has helped so many. “He means a lot to a lot of people and we are so proud of him,” she said. “Even though the squad is gone and you won’t see him coming with the lights and sirens. He is still around to always help.”