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Fire chief outlines donations and new ambulance, says he will retire this year
Summary
The city’s fire chief reported recent grants, private donations and a new ambulance in service, described rising transfer volumes and training commitments, and said he expects to retire this year, urging the city to begin a search for his successor.
Unidentified Fire Chief, the department’s fire chief, told the council the department has secured several recent grants and private donations, including a recorded $5,000 private donation for equipment and training and grant awards referenced in the transcript as $10,000, $2,500 and $700 from local and national funders. “Private donation of $5,000 towards equipment and training,” he said.
He described how donations pay for nonbudget items such as children’s activity books, clothing and protective equipment. He said the department received county opioid-related funds to acquire life-saving equipment: “We're able to grab 58,000 of county opioid money,” he said.
The chief reported the department handled increased call volumes over the past year, saying, “Goodyear calls were up on both EMS and Fireside about a 100 a piece” and that “We did 390 transfers alone last year,” referencing facility-to-facility ambulance transports to regional hospitals in Sioux Falls, Sioux City, Omaha, Yankton, Spencer and Carroll.
On fleet capacity, he said the city took delivery of a new ambulance a week before the meeting and is completing radio and lettering installation so it can enter service. “Just received our new ambulance a week ago,” he said; he also described repair work on other units to maintain service when multiple vehicles are out on long-distance calls.
The chief said the department runs frequent training—weekly sessions plus regional fire schools—citing the jurisdiction’s mixed agricultural, residential, industrial and commercial risks as reasons for broad training in hazmat, extrication and water rescue. He noted the department’s community engagement through fundraisers and events such as a pancake breakfast and the annual awards banquet.
He announced he expects to retire, likely in August, and asked the council to begin succession planning: “This is my last year. I will not be here next year as a fire chief… So we need to start working on the process of… looking for a new fire chief.”
The remarks in the meeting were informational; the transcript excerpt records no formal motions or votes tied to the chief’s report. The council followed with questions about service-area changes, compensation arrangements with neighboring towns and the department’s training schedule.
What’s next: the chief said he will work with city staff on the budget and the search or transition process once a retirement timetable is finalized.
