The Hero Next Door: Danny Keenhold

Danny Keenhold, 51, has been a firefighter with for the last 35 years -- the fire chief since 1990. In addition to firefighting, Keenhold is the owner of on S. Main Street.

Firefighting runs in the Keenhold family:

• Chris Keenhold, Danny's son, is the fire company's second assistant fire chief.
• Terry Keenhold, Danny's wife, is the fire company's treasurer.
• Troy Keenhold, Danny's brother, is the chaplain for the fire company, and is a member of the fire police.

Danny is a man of few words, but here's what he had to stay about his life as "The Hero Next Door":

What kind of training have you had so far?

“Hazmat, fire suppression -- there’ s a lot of different training. It’s a lot of hours.”

What is it like being a firefighter?

“I enjoy working with the guys. I have a good group, [and] I wouldn’t ask them to do something that I wouldn’t do.”

What made you decide to become a firefighter?

“When I was a kid, I would follow the trucks on my bike whenever the fire horns went off. When I was 16, I joined the company.”

How do your loved ones feel about you putting your life in danger?

“There’s always concern. I got [an electric shock] on a call in 2001. That was a scary moment for my family.”

What would you tell people interested in joining Vigilance Hose Co. No. 1?

“It’s a lot of time -- the schooling you have to go through. We don’t let anyone into a burning building without knowing what they’re doing, [and] every situation is different.”