Dousing out fires with dad

Anton and Elly Klein are taking father-daughter bonding to a whole new level.

The Kleins joined forces this year on the Hartley Fire Department. This is Anton's third stint with the local crew, but Elly is a rookie. The pair said they have enjoyed the experience so far even though they never thought they'd don fire helmets together.

"If you would have told me four years ago that I would be on the fire department, I would have laughed in your face," said Elly.

As far as Hartley Fire Chief Brad Meendering is aware, this is only the second time a father-daughter duo has been on the department's roster. The last time was seven years ago when former chief Kevin Soden's daughters, Lexie and Kianna Rusch, served at the same time.

"We've had several fathers and sons be on at the same time, but this is pretty unique for our department," Meendering said.

Anton served on the department from 2007-14 and again from 2015-17. He resigned due to a growing list of obligations thanks to Elly and her sister, Cadence.

"They were involved in everything under the sun, and it seemed like I had other obligations every time we had training," he said. "It just became difficult to juggle."

A 2021 graduate of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School, Elly is no stranger to emergency services. She served on an ambulance crew in Peosta with her boyfriend, Jack Bartz, after graduation and joined Hartley's EMT squad when she moved back home this year. She and Bartz began eyeing the fire department as well, and the rest is history.

"Once she said she was going to join, I decided I had to get back on," said Anton. "I couldn't miss the chance to do this with her."

The pair has been on a few calls together, but no major blazes so far. Elly is planning to become certified in the coming year if everything falls into place.

She said volunteering on the fire department and ambulance team has been rewarding and enjoyable.

"I love the rush when the pager goes off," she said. "You get excited about what you're going to get, and I enjoy working under pressure and thinking under pressure."

Anton was proud of his daughter's volunteering spirit and service to the community. Though being a firefighter takes a lot of commitment and sacrifice, he believed the experience made up for it.

"I enjoy it a lot, and I really like working with everyone on the department," he said. "It's a great group and there's great camaraderie."