When Jeff Krotche clocks in for his 24-hour shift with the Sterling Heights Fire Department, he’s not just showing up for work — he’s stepping into a role that’s been calling to him since childhood.
“I grew up in the industry,” Jeff said. “My dad was a fireman, and I really liked the aspect of helping people and the camaraderie throughout the station. You basically have a big family, and you grow tight with everybody.”
For Jeff, firefighting wasn’t just inherited. After a brief stint studying to become a physician assistant, he realized his heart wasn’t interested in sitting still. “I wanted to be more active. That’s my background,” he said. “Firefighting was the perfect mix of both — it keeps me moving and thinking.”
He’s been with the department for just over a year, but already, his name echoes through the station with an affectionate nickname: Hero.
Jeff laughs at the title. “We poke fun at each other all the time around here. But I do try to put myself out there — apply for every class, every training to help new hires, every opportunity to help. I’m looking to be someone others can trust their life with.”
The light razzing and honorary “Hero” nickname come, in part, from Jeff’s off-duty activities. He’s a dedicated Ironman triathlete — a grueling sport that tests the limits of body and mind through a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a full 26.2-mile marathon.
“I did my first triathlon when I was eight,” Jeff recalled with a grin. “I saw a commercial on TV and told my dad I wanted to do one. A month later, I was racing at the YMCA in Livonia. I’ve been hooked ever since.”
He completed his first Ironman at 21, and now at 23, he’s completing at least one full event per year, sprinkling in half Ironmans and marathons — a schedule he considers light. “It’s taken 15 years to get to that,” he said with a laugh.
For Jeff, endurance training and firefighting share a common language: perseverance.
“Endurance sports are mostly mental,” he said. “Probably two-thirds mental, one-third physical. Your body will keep going long after your mind tells you to quit. That mental toughness from endurance training has really helped in this job.”
He’s used to long, exhausting nights. “There are hard days in firefighting that can be mentally exhausting, but you’re not done until 8 a.m. hits,” he said. “Being mentally strong is everything.”
Balancing full-time employment with a rigorous hobby that uses similarly demanding skill sets has left Jeff with less time to pursue his sport of choice. Still, his tenacity remains, working with a trainer to improve both body and mind. “I’m always trying to push myself to see how far I can go.”
That mindset is driving Jeff to the next level. This November, he will head to Indiana for the Smoke Diver qualification course — one of the toughest and most elite firefighter training programs in the country.
“It’s a six-day, 60-hour course,” he explained, his face lighting up with excitement. “They could wake you up at three in the morning for a fire scenario. Everything is very realistic — live fire, real smoke, high heat. It’s designed to push you to your absolute limit.”
What makes it even more daunting? No one who’s gone through it is allowed to share the details.
“They don’t put a lot of information out there about what it is,” Jeff said. “They want to make it special for each person.”
If he qualifies this fall, Jeff will return in March for the full course — potentially becoming one of the first known firefighters from Michigan to complete it.
“I feel very fortunate,” he said. “The city is sending me down there and trusting me to absorb the information and bring back what I learn. Not every fire department allows us these opportunities.”
Even his training has shifted to prepare for the challenge. In addition to his usual endurance regimen, Jeff has incorporated strength work — grip and compound movements like pull-ups and deadlifts — that help with the demands of firefighting. Those are changes he plans to keep in his routine permanently.
“No one’s telling us, ‘You’re going to report to a fire at 1:30 this afternoon,’” he said. “Firefighters are professional athletes, but we don’t know when our game time starts. We just have to be ready.”
And for Jeff, readiness is a lifestyle. Whether it’s tackling a late-night fire or the last 20 miles of an Ironman, he’s fueled by the same philosophy: embrace discomfort.
“Don’t be intimidated by the voice that tells you that you can’t do it,” he said. “Put yourself in uncomfortable environments, because those will soon become normal. Throwing yourself into these uncomfortable elements enables you to thrive when the time comes.”