No matter how many individuals appear in the pages of each edition of Keys Weekly, there are always so many more of our community members who deserve to be recognized. In an effort to shine a spotlight on more of the incredible individuals who live and work in these islands, Keys Weekly is proud to present our Neighbor of the Week feature, dedicated to celebrating a community member with each issue.
Our neighbor of the week is Thomas Wohlers, who is a lieutenant with Marathon Fire Rescue and has been with the department full-time for 13 years. He also serves as an instructor for the Marathon High School fire cadet program. On his days off, he enjoys fishing and being on the water when weather permits, as well as golfing and spending time with his wife and three children.
THOMAS WOHLERS
Marathon Fire Rescue
What is your favorite thing about living in the Keys? The community, the family I have, and the last-minute “looks like it’s gonna be a nice sunset, let’s jump on the boat and go watch it go down” type of evenings.
What would we find in the center console of your car right now? I recently got a new truck and swore I wouldn’t clutter it, so probably a not-so-proud score card from Florida Keys Country Club that I should throw away.
What condiment could you not live without and why? I’m pretty plain when it comes to food, which I hear about at the firehouse all the time, so I guess it would be ketchup. Gotta have ketchup with fries.
What’s the scariest situation you’ve ever been in related to firefighting? I would have to say fuel in boats and more specifically in the bilge of boats definitely gets your attention. Float switches can kick on or any other ignition source can occur and the outcomes of those situations can become catastrophic very quickly.
What is your greatest fear? Working in a city, especially a tight-knit community, that you also grew up in. The next tone, the next fire or the next motor vehicle accident can very easily be someone close to you.
Who is one of your real-life heroes? My Dad, George Wohlers. He became a captain of the Marathon Lady party boat at just 18 years old, responsible for up to 60 people per trip. He has taught me to stay calm and that there is always a solution to every problem.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being with family and friends who are enjoying the moment without a care or worry in the world and zero outside noise or distractions.
What’s the dumbest call you’ve ever been on? A family down on vacation who called because they were locked in the two-story house they were renting. They were standing at the front door panicking when we arrived and stated they had been trying to get out for a couple hours but the door was jammed. Before forcing the door we completed a 360-degree size up of the property and I had seen a door that was in the rear of the house with steps leading up. It happened to be unlocked, so they were pretty surprised to see me walk in behind them and direct them to another means of egress!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? “Push through your comfort level.” This has taught me that staying stagnant and not taking chances will get you nowhere, but pushing through uncomfortable or tough situations will only make you stronger in the end.
What’s something cool in a fire truck that nobody ever would know about? I suppose people don’t always expect to see us come off the rigs with all our medical equipment when we show up because our rescue is on another call. Inside the cab we have almost all of the same advanced life-saving medical equipment to treat and stabilize a patient until another transport unit arrives. We are all paramedics with a high level of medical training as well.
What’s your favorite aspect of teaching? We are lucky to have the cadets for their junior and senior years, for both their first and second periods of the day. They need many hours of training for fire and EMR certs, so we spend a lot of time with them. Watching each one grow into adults and seeing them become great individuals is awesome.
What’s a secret about you that people might be surprised to learn? I’m not a fan of heights. That’s where the “pushing through my comfort level” pays off, except it’s usually a window and not a door that opens at the other side.
Know someone who would be a good “Neighbor of the Week?” Email: keysweeklyjen@gmail.com
