Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson said he was aware that his emotions tend to show during events like the one he attended Wednesday at City Hall, but he gave a speech with only one pause as he took the podium to remark on his final week in charge of the department.
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GALLERY: Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson
Thanks, chief
Jeremy Coffman, right, thanks Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson for how quickly firefighters responded to a garage fire in February 2019 at 316 E. Howard St.
Fire 9
Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson speaks into his radio at a house fire in February 2014 along W. Wisconsin Street in Portage.
House fire
Mayor Bill Tierney, right, speaks with Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson about the fire at a home in February 2014 on W. Wisconsin Street.
35 years with Portage Fire Department
Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson celebrated 35 years with the Portage Fire Department on March 22, 2014. Simonson worked as a paid-on-call firefighter for 25 years, and as chief for 10 years. In the photo Simonson, pictured with Assistant Chief Brian Bonovetz, standing, researches a call for mutual aid from Sauk County to deal with hazardous substances on a semi-trailer truck rollover crash.
Briefing (copy)
Portage Police Chief Ken Manthey and Fire Chief Clayton Simonson confer before the mass casualty exercise in Portage on May 3, 2014, at the Columbia County Fairgrounds.
Flood reading
Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson leans over to read the level of the Wisconsin River while it was in flood in April 2011.
Portage house fire
Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson Jr. and Fire Inspector Craig Ratz survey the scene of a fire in March 2017 at 826 Hamilton Street.
Scott Walker Portage flood visit
Gov. Scott Walker talks with Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson Jr. in September 2018 about the hazards of recreational boating during flood conditions. Walker was at the Portage Armory during a reception to mark the tentative end of National Guard operations in the area.
Open house Simonson
Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson interests youngsters in winning a toy fire apparatus during an October 2018 open house at the department.
Portage Fire Department swears in newest engineer
Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson oversees Brian Bonovetz's daughter Emily placing a badge on his uniform during a swearing in ceremony in January 2019.
022619-port-news-house-fire-garage-rubble
Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson, right, gets a closer look at the remains of a garage after it burned down in a February 2019 fire.
