Collins boys didn't need convincing to follow Dad's footsteps

An Elk River firefighter talked Lyle Collins into joining the Elk River Fire Department in 1964.

The Elk River man  went on to serve 20 years on the department, all while starting and raising a family of 13 with his wife DeLoris.

Their children grew up hanging around the fire station, watching their dad hang from the back of the fire truck, whether it was on the way to a call or in a parade.

Lyle, who put in 32 years with Elk River Municipal Utilities, stayed on the department until riding on the back of the truck was outlawed. That’s when he stepped down.

Two of his children, however, joined in the years that followed Lyle’s retirement. They are now veterans on the department.  Phil, a district chief, joined in 1988, and Jeremy, a lieutenant on the Elk River department, joined in 1994. They didn’t need any convincing to join, though. The thought of following in dad’s footsteps intrigued them from a young age.

“We wanted to be part of it,” Phil said, “part of the camaraderie.”

Jeremy, always quick with a wise-crack to lighten things up when they get a little too heavy, said he just wanted to ride around in a fire truck.

He also says it’s a thrill pulling up to a school in a fire truck and seeing their children among a group of kids waving excitedly at the firefighters on the fire truck.

“But in all seriousness it feels good to help people out,” he said.

Helping people out is part of the DNA make-up that has made these Collins boys successful firefighters.

Rich Niemela, a brother-in-law of the Collins brothers, joined the department on Sept. 9, 2001 — two days before the attacks on the World Trade Center. All the reasons behind his decision to join came rushing to him in the wake of the tragedy.

“It really makes a person think,” he said. “I was struck once again by the camaraderie I saw on the television screen.”

Accepting the huge commitment it takes to serve as a firefighter, and having the support of a spouse and other family members, is also critical.

For every thrill that serving on the department provides fire fighters, it also takes them away from their families. Kids’ birthdays, baptisms, graduations and weddings are missed. But the stuff of daily lives like sporting events, school activities and dinner suffers, too. That weighs on the spouses of these and other men on the department.

“It’s about choices,” Phil said. “You’re there to help people out. It’s a huge commitment.

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