On call 24/7

BURTRUM, Minn. — Billy Koopmeiners and his wife, Amber, put in long days every day at their dairy farm. Some days, though, they also put in long hours with their local fire department and first response team. 

“We do it to help the community,” Billy said.

The Koopmeiners milk 125 cows in a swing-17 parlor and farm 350 acres near Upsala. Along with serving with the Upsala fire department, Billy is a first responder, and Amber is an emergency medical technician with the Upsala First Response Team.

“It is not just the person in need that we are helping; it is their whole family,” Amber said. “It makes you feel good.”

Medical care is delivered in emergencies in three levels of care. The most basic level is given by a first responder, who can administer basic first aid. An EMT can administer higher levels of medical assistance. A paramedic can give the highest level of medical assistance in emergencies. 

Amber went to college for EMT certification and later became a paramedic. 

The couple discovered that farm knowledge and experience are helpful for emergencies, especially in rural communities like Upsala. They have received numerous farm calls, including some on their own farm.

“We have run into the situation where the dispatcher didn’t know what the caller was talking about when referring to specific farm equipment and therefore didn’t relay all the information that they could have, which is important to get the proper oncoming equipment and personnel sooner,” Billy said. “We don’t expect first responders and dispatchers to know everything about farming, but for us who are familiar with those terms, we can more quickly evaluate the situation.”

When a call comes in during milking, Amber usually leaves first, and once Billy is at a good stopping point, he will step away. Depending on the seriousness of the call (and for all fire calls), the Koopmeiners sometimes both leave right away and have a hired hand that can finish milking the cows. The Koopmeiners’ three children are old enough to help finish the feeding and cleaning up in the barn. 

“I’d say being a first responder and being a dairy farmer both require the same amount of dedication,” Billy said.

Amber agreed.  

“You have to be calm when moving cattle, and it is important to remain calm when at a call,” Amber said. “In any stressful situation, remaining calm is going to help versus getting all worked up. It also helps to take a few seconds and take a deep breath and assess the situation before jumping in.”

Both Billy and Amber said joining the organization was not a hard decision.

“My dad has been on the fire department for 35 years, so it is kind of a family tradition,” Billy said.

The couple joined the EMS service in 2009, and Billy signed up to be a volunteer firefighter in 2012. Amber joined in 2018, after they had children.

“I always knew I wanted to be on the fire department in some way, shape or form,” Amber said. “Growing up, my neighbor was a volunteer firefighter, and we could always hear when his pager went off. So, I always said I want to do that, too.”

To be a volunteer firefighter, the Koopmeiners have to complete a certain number of training hours every year. To be a first responder, the Koopmeiners have to complete a recertification course and do classroom and hands-on skills training throughout a 2-year span.

“As a volunteer, you don’t use all of your skills on a regular basis, so it is important to refresh those skills that may save someone’s life,” Amber said. “We have to stay in contact with the ambulance services in the area to know what their protocols are so that we know how to properly prepare a patient for their arrival.”

Since Upsala does not have a hospital, the ambulances that are called to the scene come from either Melrose, Little Falls or Camp Ripley Training Center, or a medical helicopter is used.  

“Because we are right on the Stearns and Morrison County lines, it depends on where the call is coming from as to which ambulance is called out,” Amber said. “Depending on who gets called determines how long it will take them to get out here. We need to do what we can to assess the situation and help the victim until (the ambulance) can get here.”

The rate at which calls come in greatly varies, the Koopmeiners said. They have gotten three calls in one day and have also gone two weeks without a call.

“A lot of times, it is just Billy and I and one or two other people that respond to a day call due to others’ work schedules,” Amber said. “Being in farming, we are self-employed, so we have the flexibility to respond to daytime calls.”

As the Koopmeiners continue to help their community, they also continue to make improvements to their farm to make it easier for the next generation to join, if they so choose. 

“We are still in the transition process of taking over from Billy’s parents, but we are looking at the future to make everything expandable in case any of our kids want to farm,” Amber said. “With the changes we have made, it will be a lot easier for them to expand if they want to join the farm.”