DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — The Ephraim Fire Department rededicated the Ephraim Fire Museum to fallen Assistant Fire Chief William "Bill" Weborg on Sunday, after the 20th anniversary of his death on Thursday September 26. Assistant Chief Weborg passed in 2004, while responding to a boat fire.
- The Ephraim Fire Department honors fallen Assistant Fire Chief William "Bill" Weborg.
- The Weborg family joins Village President Michael McCutcheon to remember Bill Weborg.
- The floor crest was dedicated to Assistant Fire Chief Weborg inside the Ephraim Fire Museum.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Bill Weborg comes from a family of firefighters. His maternal grandfather was a Fire Chief and his father, Niles Weborg, was recently honored by the state of Wisconsin for his dedication to the fire department after 65 years of service.
"My father-in-law was Fire Chief. I married the Fire Chief's daughter, and I inherited the fire department along with her in 1959 and when I got on the fire department of course, when I had kids they had to go to the fire department with dad and grandpa," said Niles Weborg.
Niles was Fire Chief when Bill died in the line of duty 20 years ago. They were responding to a boat fire in Fish Creek when Assistant Chief Weborg had collapsed.
Fire Chief Justin Macdonald says he remembers where he was when he received the call that Assistant Fire Chief Weborg had died.
"I can remember that day like it was yesterday. I was employed at a business in the Village of Egg Harbor and that type of call typically calls most departments so I heard the call and didn't listen to it a lot but you know, knowing the ambulance had gone by where I had worked, and it's like oh that's kinda odd cause there wasn't another call. And probably about two hours later it started to trickle down what hat happened," MacDonald said.
The dedication included a remembrance of Bill, address to the family, a moment of silence, tolling of the bell, prayer for the fallen Assistant Fire Chief, and unveiling of a floor crest for Weborg.
If you want to view the memorial, the Ephraim Fire Museum is open from 4:30pm-to sun down, Monday through Friday. Or, as the members of the Ephraim Fire Department, say "Whenever Scottie's [Weborg] (William's brother) available."
