In the world of tiny New Auburn, Wis., the subject of “Population: 485” there’s a deep, deep sense of community, a world where the book’s author could respond to an emergency call and likely know the person he’s helping.

How Eden Prairie citizens relate to such a close-knit world could be seen last Monday during an Eden Prairie Reads event.

When it comes to community, noted Becki White, a volunteer firefighter and participant in a book discussion, “it’s what you make of it.”

For White, she’s found a community in her work as an Eden Prairie Firefighter (having joined three years ago).

“I can’t imagine life without it,” she said.

The Eden Prairie Reads book this year is chock full of memorable tales of life as a volunteer firefighter, some humorous, some tragic. During Monday night’s panel discussion, Eden Prairie firefighters and one CERT volunteer shared their own tales: some humorous, some tragic.

Eden Prairie Fire Chief George Esbensen started things off with a funny note. Esbensen, who started with the department in 1986, recalled that he joined not realizing that there were no full-time firefighters to bear the brunt of the work.

 “We were it,” he said of the volunteers.

One call involved none other than the firefighting standard: a cat in the tree.They went to the scene and tried to explain to the owner that the cat would eventually come down.

“He was quite overwrought,” he said of the owner (not the cat).

So, they began to act out the grand stereotype and set up the ladder to grab the cat. That kitty then decided to make a run for it down the tree. The owner chased after it: right into a low-lying branch.Esbensen joined after Chuck Schaitberger was long part of the department. Schaitberger joined in high school, back when Eden Prairie was a little closer to resembling the community portrayed in “Population 485.”

“I could relate pretty well with this book,” he said.