Work continued at the Green Bay Fire Department on Monday but with heavy hearts. For many in this city department of 195, the realization of a fellow firefighter's death was just beginning to sink in Monday.
"We are very close," Jim Irvin remarked.
Even on his day off, Irvin was back at the scene of the Edgewood Drive fire. He spent all day and night there. So did nearly every other firefighter in the department.
Many off-duty firefighters spent all their free time either at the fire stations or the scene of the fire, seeing what they could do to help.
"We're like a family, and we kind of draw off each other," Chad Bronkhorst said."We're coping."
They have no control over the investigation. There is nothing they can do to bring their friend back. But these firefighters are not about to sit back and watch things happen.
"Basically we're doing this, supporting each other, talking to who we have to talk to, and picking up stuff that Arnie had to do. That's basically what we're doing, covering for him at his house," Irvin said. Wolff was housed at Station 5.
Irvin was the first on the scene with Jo Brinkley-Chaudoir and Wolff, and watched them go into the fire together. Brinkley-Chaudoir and Wolff fell through the floor into the engulfed basement. Brinkley-Chaudoir survived.
Never have they seen a firefighter go into a building and not come out.
"Pulling up you just think everything. It's just a common house fire; you do it a million times. You realize all of them are not so common," Irvin said.
"It's very surreal for all of us. It's hard to deal with, for all of us. You don't expect it to happen to your guys. You hear about it happening in other places and you just kind of take it for granted," Bronkhorst said.
Now there is nothing being taken for granted.
Off-duty firefighters made constant calls to one another, meeting at their stations, and sharing stories about Arnie.
"Some of our best therapy is at the dinner table -- we've said that a lot of times. And this is a tough situation for us," Bronkhorst said.
Firefighters on duty still responded to calls, knowing those off-duty were doing what they could to help Wolff's family.
Counselors will be coming in to talk with the firefighters to help them cope with the loss of a coworker and friend. Firefighters are taking turns spending time with Wolff's family to make sure they're not alone.
"Arnie was like another -- I don't want to say 'father,' maybe uncle," Irvin said.