LIMA — Throughout his 20-year career as a Lima firefighter, Jeremy Welker has faced countless dangerous situations that called for him to put his life on the line for members of the community.
Welker is now embroiled in his biggest battle yet — against brain cancer — and is facing that challenge with the same courage and perseverance that earned him the title of the Lima Noon Sertoma Club’s 2017 Firefighter of the Year.
The club has sponsored the Firefighter of the Year award since 1972, presenting a plaque annually to a Lima firefighter who has performed “outstanding service above and beyond their normal duties” within the past year.
Sertoma Program Chairman John Brookman introduced Welker at the club’s noon meeting Tuesday. Welker’s fellow firefighters packed the banquet room of The Old Barn Out Back for the special occasion.
The Sertoma Club’s annual recognition of a firefighter to be honored is made with considerable input from fellow firefighters in and around Lima. The qualifications for consideration for the award, according to a club spokesperson, include dedication and loyalty to the Lima Fire Department, a level of productivity that goes above and beyond the normal duties of a firefighter, and a level of professionalism that reflects the highest standards of the department.
Jeremy Welker, according to his cohorts, fulfills those qualifications … and more.
After nearly 20 years on the job, Welker in May suffered a seizure that ultimately led doctors to discover a mass on his left frontal lobe. He has undergone surgery, completed radiation treatments and is now three weeks into a chemotherapy regime that will last until at least June of next year.
But on Tuesday, Welker focused not on his own condition but rather on matters that have been a passion for much of his career. Since 2007, he has headed up the Fire Department’s Muscular Dystrophy Association fundraising efforts. The annual MDA drive is the biggest fundraiser nationwide for the international union. He has also been active in the local firefighters union, with a focus on health and safety for his fellow professionals. He urged those in attendance to join him in supporting those causes.
Lima Fire Chief Bruce Black became overcome with emotion when describing the impact Welker has had on the department. “Over the years if you ask him to do something, he’d just say ‘no problem’ and do it.”
Sharetta Smith, chief of staff for Lima Mayor David Berger, was on hand to offer her congratulations on behalf of the administration.
“Congratulations to you, Officer Welker. I wish you the best in your next chapter and thank you for your courage and dedication to just a perilous job,” Smith said.
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