Photo by Mike Lamb Al Barber has served as fire chief in Tyler for the past 12 years.

TYLER — Like father, like son.

Al Barber followed his father into volunteer firefighting. His father was the fire chief in Milroy. For the past 12 years, Barber has served as fire chief in Tyler.

“It’s something I always wanted to do. A lot of times you do what your parents like to do. Like to follow their footsteps,” he said.

And now he has a 9-year-old son, Caden, who looks up to his father.

“He’s adamant about becoming a firefighter,” Barber said.

Barber has served in the Tyler Fire Department for the past 29 years after moving to Tyler in 1988 when he owned a restaurant business. Today he operates Pomps Tire Services in Marshall.

Barber said he enjoys the opportunity to serve in the fire department.

“It’s the brotherhood of the guys. The people that you’re with. They all look out for each other. You know, on the weekends, you’re helping each other move or do whatever else or it entails. Having a few adult beverages. The brotherhood and all that. Just supporting the community that works out,” he said.

Barber recalls his promotion to the chief position.

“When I got on, I was kind of pretty adamant, pretty involved. I had some situations where we were at scenes and I kind of took the lead,” he said.

“I was assistant chief for a while. So I took the lead and when the previous chief decided he was gonna step down, he asked if I was ready.”

So now it’s his job to work with everybody else in the department on recruiting and training. Currently, there are 28 members in the department. Barber said the limit is 30.

“So we’re real close to what we have for numbers. We just put five guys on — young guys. All five took very well,” he said.

Barber said keeping up with needed equipment is the biggest challenge.

“You know, the cost of equipment is huge,” he said. “So we try and do grants as much as we can. That’s our biggest takeaway. We’re trying to get a tanker now because we just got new breathing apparatuses and all that stuff. Just got that in here. I think it was in the last year when we did that, but we got some grants to get it. That’s what helped us out.”

Barber said the department averages 25-30 calls a year. And about half of those calls are for fires.

“You know, with car fires, grass, fires, garage fires, and so forth. We have done accidents, lift assists. Just all kinds. It’s easier to call us off than it is than to get to the scene and then have to call us once you’re there. I’m trying to help the ambulance too with a lot of lift assists,” he said.

“We had a house fire last year. And then we had one this year. But it wasn’t real bad,” he said. “I know we saved both. I think the last one that we lost a house would have been four or five years ago.”

“The burning of different kinds of toxic materials is one of the major dangers firefighters face. And that’s where some of the training and safe practices comes in to play.

“The carcinogens thats in there, that’s a big factor. With the state of Minnesota, I know it well through the fire industry, they’re pretty adamant (being aware) of the cancer, the prostate cancer and testicular cancer and all that stuff,” he said. “We got a washer and dryer for turnout gear now so we wash our gear.”

When the pager goes off, Barber said the department members respond to some tragedies as well.

“We had a plane crash here a few years back that we had three DOAs. Everybody deals with it differently. Generally, we’ll sit around afterwards and discuss it a little bit. I tell the guys they can go if they need to talk with somebody. We can do it either way. So whatever it takes. You definitely see some hairy stuff.”

But even with all the dangers and challenges, Barber he has no plans to stop volunteering in the department.

“I think the most rewarding thing you get out of it is helping people,” he said.

“We got a hell of a good group of guys. The the support that we get with the Tyler community is phenomenal. They back us real well. Our big fundraiser, is we have a golf tournament every year in the fall and we have a lot of people look forward to go out and have some fun.”