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Volunteer fire company tells Eldridge council its members will not accept appointments
Summary
The Eldridge Volunteer Fire Company read a letter saying its 20 members will decline appointment to a city department effective Oct. 1, warning that the city cannot operate the service by hiring a single paid employee and urging urgent planning.
Members of the Eldridge Volunteer Fire Company told the council they will not join a city-run department unless transition details are clarified. Brian Yanke, the volunteer company's secretary, read a letter on the group's behalf stating that, "Effective 10/01/2026, all 20 members of the Eldridge Volunteer Fire Company are formally declining consideration of appointment as a member of the City of Eldridge Fire Department."
Yanke said the membership represents 165 years of combined experience and that "the City will not be able to operate this department by hiring a single paid employee." He urged the council to plan urgently and to consider options that preserve public safety while respecting volunteers' concerns. Council members acknowledged the letter and voted to continue with ordinances and to authorize a chief recruitment process while seeking volunteer input on the hiring committee.
The volunteers and several residents repeatedly asked for clear budgets, transition-team membership, and explicit inclusion of EMS in any new city code; council staff said those items are being reviewed and that additional community engagement is planned before any final adoption.
