By Renee Berg
The Free Press
PEMBERTON, Minn. — When staff with the 229-person town of Pemberton let it be known their volunteer fire department was at risk of closure, the community responded in spades.
The fire department has five fully invested volunteers and needs another 10 to 12, said City Clerk Kathy Grinnell. She took to mailing notices to residents who live within 15 miles of Pemberton, posting on the city’s social media channels and on the city’s website publicizing that the town was desperately in need of fire department volunteers.
In just a week, she saw a huge shift in interest.
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“We had a lot of rough moments, a lot of despair and discouragement,” Grinnell said. “And it was a sad reality that got us to this point where we had to let it be known that we were facing closure if we didn’t get some good applicants. So many people within one week stepped up. I got so excited that this turned around in one week. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Pemberton now has almost as many applicants as needed to continue offering services to the community. Grinnell received four solid applications and heard from the neighboring Waldorf volunteer fire department that four of their members plan to join Pemberton’s team.
“Everything would need to be changed if our fire department closed,” she said. “It would affect response times. Instead we have a lot of people calling. I’ve been so busy answering phone calls. People want to save this fire department. It’s heartwarming to see.”
Pemberton isn’t the only small town in south-central Minnesota searching for fire department volunteers. Regional fire chiefs report they’re on the hunt, too.
Fire Chief Bill Fitzloff said he is down two firefighters in St. Clair but he has 12 firefighters who “could retire at any time.” Wells could use five volunteers.
In Waldorf, Fire Chief Marcus McDonough said: “It’s a revolving door. We’re always looking, I guess you could say.”
It’s an ongoing tough sell to recruit volunteers, area fire chiefs said. Whereas he once had a wait list for volunteer firefighters, Fitzloff now has none.
Grinnell said “it takes a special person” to join the Pemberton volunteer fire department, which goes on as many as 30 calls a year. Fitzloff agreed it is a demanding role.
“People don’t have the time like they used to,” he said. “It does take a lot of time to be a volunteer firefighter. You need medical training and fire training. I don’t know the answer.”
Guy Kimpton, fire chief in Wells, agreed with Fitzloff, saying it’s a time-consuming pursuit.
“It’s tough to get the younger generation to volunteer,” he said. “Twenty-five years ago, we’d have seven or eight people apply for one position. Now we don’t have anybody apply.”
He said people also aren’t settling in small towns as they once did in former generations so the applicant pool is lessened.
Marcus McDonough, fire chief in Waldorf, said training requirements are a dealbreaker, too.
Volunteering with small town fire departments is, however, fulfilling work, those interviewed said. The fire department, Grinnell said, is a crucial part of every community.
Kimpton said he recently honored five firefighters with lifesaver awards stemming from a Nov. 30 medical call they went on in Wells. A 33-year-old man had a heart attack and they saved him.
“It’s very rewarding,” he said. “People are looking for ways to give back to their community. They wish they could do something. This is one way they could do it.”
He also mentioned a modest state-funded retirement package as a benefit for volunteer firefighters.
McDonough said people have to “have a heart in it or do the right thing.” He said if more community members don’t step up, small towns might have to resort to being served by a countywide fire department instead of the current setup with volunteer fire departments per town.
That, he said, would have negative repercussions for those needing a medical or fire response.
“What will happen in Pemberton, if the department goes away, when it comes to the EMS side of things, seconds matter,” he said. “Instead of it being a five-minute response, it turns into a 20-minute response. That can mean life or death.”
Thankfully, the Pemberton community has stepped up, Grinnell said. She’s relieved.
“We had to put it out there and really get people thinking about how important this is,” she said. “We can’t wait until it’s gone and wish for it to be back. It’s worth saving. It’s the glue that holds the community together.
“There are people who will selflessly serve their community because they truly care and they have big hearts. It’s inspiring to see humanity still loving and invested.”
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