October 6 – Hibbing firefighters took a break from the department’s annual Fire Prevention Week Open House and honored a very special friend today. And, what a surprise it was for Harold Koenig of Hibbing, who was officially named as an “Honorary Hibbing Firefighter” and later presented with his very own helmet. Harold, who is developmentally challenged and lives in a group home, has won over the hearts and souls of Hibbing’s firefighters. He spends a lot of time at Hibbing’s main fire station and according to Captain Chris Petrack, “Harold is one of our team.” The idea of making Harold an Honorary Firefighter was a cooperative effort involving IAFF Local 173 and Fire Chief Scott Nehiba. “We really wanted to do something special for him and today was his special day,” said Petrack. “We all felt really great about doing this because Harold is indeed very special to us at Hibbing Fire.”
Honorary Hibbing Firefighter Harold Koenig and HFD Captain Chris Petrack.
Photo: Hibbing Fire Department
