Newark Fireman Called to Duty

Inside , a man known for his humor, initiative and dedication has left to serve the nation.

Today marks the first day of Dave Winnacker's one-year deployment with the United States Marine Corps. He has worked with fire stations in Newark for the past five years.

And while the 36-year-old husband and father of two is excited to embark on a new journey for a year, he said he will miss serving from the station that sits on Ruschin Drive.

"It's my home away from home. With the right crew, it's a lot of fun," said Winnacker. "This is the right crew."

Crew member Brian Walder said Winnacker has been a valuable asset to Newark's firefighters and will be missed. Walder, a firefighter and EMT, said Winnacker is best known for his integrity and initiative.

"He's a hard worker, and he has a strong sense of right and wrong," Walder said. "He's always eager to do his part."

And Winnacker even goes above and beyond.

During one call, the team went to a home where a woman had fallen and injured herself. As a result, her home was in disarray, Walder recalled.

"He and a few other firefighters started to clean up the floor," said Walder. They even washed the towels they used to clean up, he added.

"That right there exemplifies the type of service we try to offer and the type of worker I like to work with," Walder said.

Capt. John Whiting of Alameda County Fire often works in Union City but has worked with Winnacker in the field and worked part of Winnacker's last shift with him.

"He's always been positive, a go-getter," Whiting said. "And the best thing about him is that he's fun to be around."

Winnacker, an Albany resident and Berkeley native, has worked worked as a firefighter with Newark since 2006. When the Newark Fire Department consolidated with Alameda County Fire last year, he was promoted to fire engineer.

As a fire engineer, Winnacker is charged with making sure the 43,500-pound fire apparatus is ready to go at any time and ensuring that the crew is safe at all times while driving to an emergency site.

"I had no idea as a kid that I'd be doing this," he said.

Winnacker spent most of his 20s in the Marines. When he got out in 2003, he said, he was looking for a career that was fulfilling and served the community.

"We do a little bit of everything" at the fire department, said Winnacker, describing tasks as big as structure fires and as small as assisting ducks out of stormwater pipes, on top of helping community members when they need medical aid. 

"No two days are the same," he added with enthusiasm. "We have no idea what's going to happen in the day.

"What I enjoy most is we show up and solve somebody's problem. It's a very, very rewarding line of work, and we don't have to give them a bill. We make it better for them and I will definitely miss the crew."

But his wife, Corrie, and their two daughters, 2-year-old Jill and 4-year-old Sally, are the people Winnaker will miss most. 

Winnacker learned of his deployment about one month ago. He heads first to North Carolina, then to Sicily, then Africa.

"It's a good mission. The unit we're forming will be doing critical work in a critical region," he said.

Winnacker will act as executive officer in his Marine Corp unit. He plans to return to work in Newark after his deployment.