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Harlan firefighters’ family to be featured on IPTV Tuesday

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June 4th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

A family of seven firefighters from the Harlan Fire Department will be featured on Iowa Public Television, tomorrow (Tuesday). Tom Butler of Harlan and his sons Chad, Brad and Mike, along with his daughter Kristi Pederson, son-in-law Tim Pederson, and daughter-in-law Robin Butler, are all members of the Harlan Fire Department. Tom Butler says he has Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen to thank for getting the family on television. Butler says IPTV wanted to do a segment on firefighters. Bissen threw their name into a hat, and after interviewing Butler’s family members and other prospective families, decided to select the Butlers. 

Families from the state of Iowa were interviewed as potential candidates for the segment entitled “Iowa’s Firefighting Families.” Butler says once the film crew came back, they followed and filmed the family for a week. Tom Butler says at first he didn’t think he had the time to join the Harlan Fire Department but one fire in particular changed his mind. He says after a fire at the grocery store where his wife works, he decided to join the department. Once his children grew up, they decided to follow in his footsteps. 

He’s been on the Harlan Fire Department for 24 years. Most of his kids have been serving with the department for over a decade. The 30 minute program featuring the Butler family will air 7-p.m. Tuesday, on IPTV. If you miss the first broadcast, you can see it on Tuesday, June 12th, beginning at 4:30-pm, or, on Sunday, June 24th at 8:30pm. Butler says it was an honor to be featured on the program.