Better together: Chippewa Falls firefighter and police officer share a close friendship

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - A Chippewa Falls firefighter and a Chippewa Falls police officer are known as an iconic duo around their stations and helping deliver a baby on call only brought them closer together.

Firefighter Brooklyn Sommerfeld and police officer Joan Lawcewicz, have many things in common. Near the top of their list is their love for their job.

“We are always here for people,” Lawcewicz said. “Whether It’s something small, or if it’s something life altering.”

“The most rewarding part of the job is the cliché answer, definitely helping people in the community, knowing you make a difference, and being there at people’s time of need,” Sommerfeld said.

The second is their love for the friendship they share.

“Joan is definitely my best friend,” Sommerfeld said. “It’s super cool to work with her and have that professional relationship together, then outside of work being able to decompress, and just you know get together have fun.”

“It’s fun really, with us and our relationship,” Lawcewicz said. “We already had a very strong relationship between the fire department and the police department, but when your best friends on the fire department.”

The two first responders met on a call for a medical emergency. Sommerfeld said it was friendship at first sight.

“Joan came into the ambulance when we were cleaning up our equipment and she introduced herself,” Sommerfeld said. “From that moment I was like, I feel like her and I are going to get along really really well.”

Not only did the duo meet on a call, but they became closer on another when they unexpectedly helped deliver a baby.

“The most surreal call I’ve ever been a part of and I can testify to her as well, it was one of the coolest calls,” Lawcewicz said.

“We got dispatched one summer day about two years ago now for a lady that was in labor we got to the residence right as I got of the ambulance the law enforcement officer on the scene was Joan and I felt so much relief just knowing that I had another female with me to be going through this experience together, as well as, my best friend,” Sommerfeld said.

The two helped successfully deliver the baby in a bathtub. Sommerfeld said Lawcewicz was coaching the mother while she caught the baby in her hands. Although they have shared many adventures, they both say they are proud of their relationship because it represents the teamwork of the Chippewa Falls police and fire departments.

“You know we are doing trainings with the police department, we go on a lot of calls together,” Sommerfeld said. Depending what the call is they are there to help us on any EMS calls that we need them on. They are there to help us on fire calls and it’s super great to have that working relationship.”

The two friends said they want the community to know what their jobs entail and they are happy to help with problems big and small.

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