Meet a Paris firefighter

Like other firefighters, River Wilken believes his role is to serve and protect members of the community.

“My responsibility is to provide support to the community by education, medication or life-saving measures,” he said.

Wilken became a member of the Paris Fire Department in 2020 and has held the position of firefighter since the pandemic-infused year. He was prompted to join the service from a desire to make a difference and help members of his community.

It is that desire to serve others that keeps him on the job.

“Providing services that help my community on their worst day is my biggest motivation,” Wilken said.

Outside of work, Wilken is a fan of movies, calling himself a “big movie guy”. His favorite person to watch movies with is his daughter Remi. Movies for the father-daughter duo are best enjoyed at home, with a bowl of popcorn and underneath a warm blanket.

Keeping warm at home is something the young firefighter knows how to do safely, especially during the cold winter months.

Considering that home heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fire deaths, trained firefighters like Wilken know a few simple precautions can help to prevent most heating fires from happening.

• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.
• Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
• Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel-burning space heaters.
• Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month.