Growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, Scott Wehlage spent hours listening to the chatter on the city’s police and fire scanner, fascinated by how the first responders communicated to one another as they worked to save lives. Now, several years later, he is living out his dream as a member of the Washington Fire Department.
On Saturday, he was honored as the department’s “Firefighter of the Year,” an award that has been given out annually since the early 1970s. The award was presented at the Washington Fire Department’s Annual Banquet, which was held at Our Lady of Lourdes in Washington.