Bloomington honors firefighter Ron Crook for dedicated service
The Bloomington City Council recognized Fire Inspector Ron Crook as the Bloomington Fire Department's Firefighter of the Year during a Wednesday evening meeting, celebrating his contributions to community safety and education.
Ron Crook, who serves as both a firefighter and fire inspector for the City of Bloomington, was honored for his dedication to protecting the community. The recognition highlighted his multifaceted role within the department, which extends beyond emergency response to include critical work in fire prevention and public safety.
Crook's responsibilities encompass three main areas: educating the community about fire safety, conducting real-time fire inspections at buildings throughout Bloomington, and responding to emergencies when they occur. His work as a fire inspector requires mastery of a comprehensive code book containing the regulations and standards that govern fire safety in the city. This knowledge allows him to identify potential hazards and ensure that buildings meet safety requirements before emergencies happen.
During the meeting, Crook expressed his appreciation for receiving the Firefighter of the Year award from his department. He also shared his perspective on what makes his job rewarding, noting that he enjoys the unpredictable nature of firefighting work—the variety of challenges and situations that arise each day.
The recognition underscores the importance of fire inspection and prevention work in keeping communities safe. While much of the public attention typically goes to firefighters responding to active emergencies, inspectors like Crook work behind the scenes to prevent fires from starting in the first place through education and enforcement of safety standards.
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[0:00] (uplifting music)
[0:15] (soft music)
[0:15] - My primary role as a fire inspector
[0:17] is to educate the community.
[0:19] My name's Ron Crook, fire
inspector, firefighter
[0:22] for the City of Bloomington.
[0:23] I became a paid on-call
firefighter in 2016
[0:26] and a full-time firefighter
fire inspector in 2022.
[0:30] That's going to schools to
[0:33] educate the little ones,
[0:34] or even going to like a
senior living facilities
[0:36] to do presentations there.
[0:38] It takes a long time,
[0:39] not just to learn the city,
[0:40] but to learn and understand the code book.
[0:43] You always gotta go back to the book.
[0:44] Fire inspecting not only are you educating
[0:46] while you're doing it,
[0:47] but you're pointing out, in real time,
[0:49] kind of issues that you find.
[0:50] Usually there's a good blend
of computer work, field work,
[0:54] and then what people would maybe think
[0:55] of like actual firefighting.
[0:57] In January, I received the
Firefighter of the Year award
[1:00] from Bloomington Fire Department.
[1:01] It feels pretty good to be recognized.
[1:04] I know that there's plenty of others
[1:06] that probably would be perfect candidates,
[1:08] but it feels pretty good
[1:10] and I do appreciate the award.
[1:11] - Nobody works harder than Ron since
[1:14] before he was full-time.
[1:15] He was somebody you could always rely on.
[1:17] He's always here.
[1:18] He's the kind of guy
that you can depend on.
[1:20] - So what I enjoy the most
[1:21] about this job is kind of the unknowns.
[1:23] A lot of it you just don't
know what you're gonna see,
[1:25] what you're gonna run into,
[1:26] and that goes for both for inspections,
[1:29] investigations,
[1:30] fires, or just emergency incidences.
[1:33] Being somebody who loves
adventure and challenges,
[1:35] that to me is just why
I love doing this job.
[1:37] - [Aaron] Ron, just he's super
funny and super nice guy.
[1:40] If you see him out in the community,
[1:41] make sure you congratulate him
for Firefighter of the Year
[1:43] because he really deserves it.
[1:44] (uplifting music continues)
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