09/30/2026
The fire truck that comes when you call 911 in South Dakota is more than likely being driven by somebody who was asleep in their own bed just minutes ago. Most of our fire departments in South Dakota are volunteer. Not paid. Not sitting at the station waiting for that phone to ring. They’re welders, teachers, ranchers, farmers, mechanics, business owners, moms, dads, and folks just trying to make a livin’ and take care of their families. But when that pager goes off, everything stops. It might be in the middle of a shower, supper with the family, a birthday party, church, or two o’clock in the mornin’. They get up, pull on their gear, head to the station, jump on a truck, and go. No hesitation. No paycheck waiting on the other end. Just a heart that says,“Somebody needs us.”
And around here, we make do with what we’ve got. Trucks aren’t always new. Equipment costs more than most folks realize. Sometimes a department is trying to keep an old truck runnin’ just a little longer while raising money with fish fries, plate sales, raffles, donations, and the generosity of neighbors. And those calls ain’t always fires. They’re wrecks on dark country roads. Grass fires runnin’ with the South Dakota wind. Medical calls. Rescues. Storms. And those moments when every second matters and your closest help may still be a long ways down the road. But the hardest part—the part folks outside a small community may never truly understand—is that around here… we know the address before we ever get there.
We know whose house it is.
We know whose mama lives there.
We know whose kids are inside.
We know the family standing in the driveway.
And we go anyway.
We do our job. We help our neighbors. We load back up, head home, and when morning comes, we still gotta get up and go to work like it was just another night. That’s what being a volunteer firefighter in a small South Dakota community means. It ain’t about the spotlight.
It ain’t about the recognition.
It’s about your neighbor callin’ for help and knowin’ you’re gonna answer.
So tonight, hug your volunteer firefighter a little tighter. And if you see that fire truck headed down the road, remember there’s a good chance the person behind that wheel left their own family, their own bed, and their own life for a little while…..just to come help yours.
