Fire chief updates council on contract status, call volume and equipment needs

Dan Dietz, Dell Rapids fire chief, told the council the department’s contract is prepared and ready for approval at the next meeting; there is no rate change from 2024, and staff believes the department can continue serving the city in the interim.

Dietz reported the department responded to 336 calls last year; 256 of those calls occurred within the city limits, a share the chief described as roughly three-quarters of the department’s work. He said about 43% of incidents were priority 1 or 2 (more emergent calls). The department has 21 members and two applicants scheduled for next Monday’s vote; Dietz noted full operational status for new volunteers requires completion of Firefighter I and II training (a roughly 120-hour classroom plus hands-on course) and can take a year or longer depending on timing.

Dietz described investments and rising costs: recent replacement of portable radios and reprogramming of truck radios, a transition to an encrypted radio system to prevent scanner listening, ongoing rotation for turnout gear (a set costs $5,000 to $11,500), and a recently purchased water tender (a truck that carries water) that cost about $350,000. He said replacing a frontline engine could cost roughly $425,000 for a similar 2020 model or nearly $700,000 if built today.

On staffing, Dietz said the department launched a junior firefighter program to recruit younger members and noted the long training timeline required before a volunteer can respond as a full crew member.

Council members thanked the chief for the update and expressed appreciation for department service.