The first incident Joe Bullard remembers responding to with the Seymour Fire Department is still fresh in his mind.
Dispatch reported a wreck near Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge on U.S. 50 east of Seymour that required extrication, and there was a fatality.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, it became worse when Bullard realized he knew the man. He was a salesperson Bullard often worked with in his previous job with Bullard’s Industrial Food Service.
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“When you first show up to the scene, you’re just all adrenaline running. You don’t really think about it,” he said. “Then once you get the person out and you’re sitting there, you’re just like, ‘I knew that guy, and he’s gone.’”
An experience like that could be difficult to deal with and could later lead to issues like post-traumatic stress disorder.
Fortunately, though, Bullard was able to move forward in his career and knew it was the right one for him. He credits his fellow firefighters for giving him reassurance.
“You’re there to help people. You know that,” he said. “That’s when you lean on these guys, and it’s a brotherhood. You’ve got to talk. You can’t pin it in. Some people deal with it, some don’t. In 26 years, I’ve seen quite a bit of stuff.”
There were serious fires and wrecks Bullard responded to, but there also were some funny or unique incidents.
Now that he has wrapped up his 26-year career with the department, Bullard looks back on it all with pride knowing he made a difference while serving his hometown.
“Just the support from family and the guys around here, I couldn’t do it without them,” the 52-year-old said. “I had a great career, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Bullard worked his last shift in September 2019 and had vacation time built up. His official last day is Sunday, and his retirement starts Monday.
Career highlights
Bullard grew up in the city and graduated from Seymour High School in 1986. He then spent time at a factory and worked for Hendrix Pool and Patio for a few years. He attended Ball State University for a couple of years before returning to Seymour to work for his uncle at Bullard’s Industrial Food Service.
Then he started at the fire department in 1994.
“When I was a little kid, a little tyke, I used to watch a show called ‘Emergency.’ It was all firefighting,” he said. “Just like 9/11, everybody is running out, they are running in, not looking for the glory. It’s something that’s in your blood that makes you want to go help people, just like a police officer running into gunfire. That’s what kind of drew me to it.”
His grandfather, Al Schwartz, also was an influence in becoming a firefighter. Schwartz had a long career and spent part of his time as a lieutenant at Station 2, which is where Bullard most recently worked. Today, there’s still a picture of Schwartz at the station.
“I’m a hands-on guy. Most people you will interview with the job are adrenaline junkies, so that’s kind of what drove me to it,” he said. “I’m more of the firefighting side of it.”
When he started, Bullard said all he had to do was pass an agility test and go through the interview process. Now, there also is testing involved, a fire science degree is required and many have medical certifications.
Early in Bullard’s career, he said the fire department mainly responded to fires and wrecks.
The first house fire he remembers was on Oak Street. There was a fire in the living room.
On their way there, the firetruck hit a bump in the road while going around a corner. They didn’t realize that jarred a hose attached to the back of the truck loose, and it just kept unraveling.
“When we turned the corner, it got caught underneath a car, and it stretched, stretched, stretched, stretched, stretched the fitting on the back, which Chief (Brad) Lucas gave to me at my retirement party because he still had it because he was the driver,” Bullard said.
Once they arrived at the house, a police officer opened his trunk and pulled out the hose. That made the firefighters laugh, and then they got down to business putting out the fire.
What Bullard considers his “career fire” was at the Centennial hotel in 1998. Two people died in the fire, which was determined to be deliberately set.
There, however, could have been more fatalities if it hadn’t been for the efforts of Bullard and fellow firefighters David Carmichael, John Toppe and John Kirby. They went to help people who were trapped.
“We went up the fire escape and started kicking in doors. We ended up rescuing four or five people,” Bullard said.
Another memorable fire for Bullard was on Halloween in 1996 when the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 655 building in downtown Seymour caught fire.
According to a Tribune story that day, the fire department’s entire complement, 28 men, spent an hour and a half trying to find ways to vent the building to allow the smoke to escape. The fire also forced four people out of an upstairs apartment.
Time to retire
About eight months ago, Bullard said he realized it was time for his career to end.
“I came here one day and we had a run,” he said. “I was like, ‘My heart’s not into it anymore.’”
On his days off, he had been working for retired firefighter Kevin Wehmiller’s lawn care business for 15 years, and Bullard said it hit him that firefighting is trending toward a younger man’s job.
“Fifty-two is not old, but some of the stuff you’ve got to do, like Jaws (of Life), they are not light,” he said. “I had back surgery, and there has been some other guys around here that have gotten hurt. I’ve talked to some of the older guys, who said, ‘It’s a great career. Don’t be afraid to retire when it comes time. You’ll know.’ You ask them, ‘Well, how do you know?’ and they said, ‘You’ll know,’ and that’s true.”
Cameron Shoemaker, who worked with Bullard in the lawn care business, recently was hired to take his spot.
“It’s kind of fitting that Cam Shoemaker is actually taking my job because I kind of helped him along a little bit with the fire service,” Bullard said. “I’m glad to pass the torch.”
Bullard said another reason he decided to retire is the job is trending more toward the medical side.
“It’s just not my cup of tea,” he said. “I’m just not a medical guy.”
Easy decision
Making the decision to retire wasn’t hard, he said.
“It’s just one of those ephiphany moments like you come out here and start a truck and think, ‘It has been fun, but it’s time to move on,’” he said.
Bullard already has been able to enjoy retirement, traveling to New Jersey to visit his brother, David, and family for Thanksgiving. In February, they are going to Orlando, Florida, to play golf.
Bullard and his wife, Dana, want to visit beaches and also travel out West for the first time. Dana is a kindergarten teacher at Emerson Elementary School in Seymour.
Plus, Bullard likes hunting, fishing and enjoying time at his inground pool at home.
The Bullards have two children, Shelby Walls and Tyler Bullard. She’s a registered nurse in Indianapolis, and he’s a sophomore at the University of Indianapolis.
Joe said Tyler is considering going into fire service.
“I encourage him,” Joe said. “He played football for UIndy for a year. He was a pretty good player here (in Seymour). We had the agility test set up over here, and he actually ran through it, so he kind of got the blood flowing a little bit and got him interested in it. Of course, I’ve been here, and that’s all he has known since he was born. I’ve got two kids, and that’s all they’ve known.”
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Name: Joe Bullard
Age: 52
Hometown: Seymour
Residence: Seymour
Education: Seymour High School (1986)
Occupation: Recently retired after 26 years with the Seymour Fire Department
Family: Wife, Dana Bullard; daughter, Shelby (Caleb) Walls; son, Tyler Bullard
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