Cherokee Fire Department

09/06/2026

09/04/2026

☀️ Labor Day Weekend Heat Safety 🚒

As we head into Labor Day weekend, the Cherokee Fire Department reminds everyone to be prepared for the heat while enjoying the long weekend. If you’re spending time outdoors, working in the yard, camping, attending events, or enjoying time with family and friends, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water, taking frequent breaks in the shade or air conditioning, and watching for signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Check on children, older adults, neighbors, and anyone who may be especially vulnerable to the heat, and never leave children or pets inside a parked vehicle—even for a few minutes.

If your weekend includes grilling, a campfire, or other outdoor activities, keep fire safety in mind as well. And as always, buckle up, slow down, and never drink and drive.

From all of us at the Cherokee Fire Department, have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend! 🇺🇸🚒

08/24/2026

📚🚒 Welcome Back, Students! 🚓🚑

Members of the Cherokee Fire Department, Cherokee Police Department, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, and Cherokee Regional Emergency Medical Services were out this morning welcoming students back for the first day of school!

It’s always great to see the excitement as students head back to the classroom and to have our local first responders there to help kick off another school year.

As everyone gets back into the school routine, please remember to slow down in school zones, watch for students walking and biking, and always stop for school buses when required.

From all of us, welcome back and have a safe and successful school year! 🎒📚

08/21/2026

🚒 TRAINING TOGETHER. PREPARING TOGETHER. 🚑

Last night, members of the Cherokee Fire Department participated in a large-scale disaster drill hosted by the Meriden Fire Department and coordinated by Cherokee County Emergency Management.

Fire departments from across Cherokee County participated in the exercise, which challenged responders with several incidents occurring at the same time, including 🔥 live fire operations, multiple victims requiring triage and transport, and a confined-space rescue.

Large-scale emergencies require many different disciplines to come together quickly and effectively. Drills like this allow us to practice incident command, communications, mutual aid, patient care and transportation, specialized rescue operations, and overall coordination in a controlled environment. They also give us an opportunity to identify what works well and where improvements can be made before we’re faced with a true emergency.

A tremendous amount of planning and coordination goes into an exercise of this size. Thank you to everyone who worked hard to plan and organize the drill, the community members who volunteered their time to play the roles of victims, and everyone who participated in making the exercise a success.

We train together so we can respond together. 🚒🚑🚓

08/18/2026

🔥 LIVE FIRE TRAINING 🔥

Last night, members of the Cherokee Fire Department took part in a live-fire training burn, giving our firefighters the opportunity to train in a realistic and controlled environment.

Throughout the evolution, crews were able to observe fire behavior and development firsthand—watching how fire grows, how heat and smoke travel through a structure, and how conditions change as a fire progresses.

One of the most valuable parts of the training was seeing the dramatic difference in conditions throughout the same structure. While fire was actively burning in one area, crews were able to identify other portions of the home that remained searchable and potentially survivable. This reinforces why aggressive, coordinated search and fire attack remain such important parts of our operations.

🔥 Fire behavior
🚒 Fire attack and suppression
🔎 Search and survivability
💨 Smoke and heat movement
🏠 Changing conditions throughout a structure

Opportunities like this give our firefighters experience that simply cannot be replicated in a classroom. Every training evolution helps us better recognize conditions, make sound decisions, and prepare for the real emergencies we may face while protecting our community.

Train hard. Learn from the fire. Be ready when it matters.

08/14/2026

The Cherokee Fire Department would like to congratulate Le Mars Fire-Rescue Chief David Schipper on his retirement after 16 years of dedicated service to the Le Mars community.

Chief Schipper, thank you for your years of leadership, dedication, and commitment to the fire service. The impact you have made on your department, your community, and the firefighters who have had the privilege of serving alongside you will not be forgotten.

From all of us at the Cherokee Fire Department, thank you for your service, Chief Schipper. You have our respect and appreciation, and we wish you and your family all the very best.

08/13/2026

🔥 TRAINING NIGHT 🔥

Last night, Cherokee Firefighters hit the training ground for “Bread & Butter Pull” hose deployment drills.

The Bread & Butter Pull is a rapid hose deployment technique designed to get an attack line off the engine, stretched, flaked out, and ready to flow water as quickly and efficiently as possible. While it may look simple, there are a lot of mechanics involved—how the hose is loaded, where firefighters position themselves, how the line is pulled, and how the crew works together all make a difference when seconds count.

Crews worked through the drill multiple times and were timed on each evolution, allowing them to identify where they could improve their movements, communication, and overall efficiency.

Training like this builds muscle memory. On a real fire scene, we want deploying hose and getting water to the fire to be second nature. Repetition allows us to work out the little things during training so we’re faster, smoother, and safer when it matters most.

Train like you work. Work like you train. 🚒🔥

08/12/2026

Strong to severe thunderstorms become likely in south central and southeast South Dakota late this evening and overnight. As they progress east the storms will likely form into a line with bowing segments. Threats include hail to the size of a quarter and wind gusts in excess of 70 mph.

08/11/2026

9:56 PM Monday August 10, 2026: We're watching isolated storms currently over northwestern South Dakota that are expected to gradually grow into a line as it moves southeast. Here's the latest look at timing for our area.

Ping pong ball sized hail will be possible with these storms mainly near and west of the James River, but the greater concern will be damaging wind gusts to 70+ mph as storms move towards I-29 by the early morning hours.

Not everyone gets a storm, but remain weather aware tonight!