08/16/2026
We present to you, Chief Penning
This is Split Rock Volunteer Fire Department Chief Matthew Penning.
Matthew first joined Split Rock Fire as a cadet. Just two days after his 18th birthday, he was voted onto the department.
Seventeen years later, he is still serving.
As Chief, Matthew volunteers countless hours every week making sure our department operates safely, efficiently, and is ready when our community needs us.
But his service doesn’t stop at the firehouse.
Matthew has become a strong voice for volunteer fire departments and EMS across South Dakota. He spends countless additional hours traveling our state, advocating for stronger emergency services and working to make sure the men and women answering our 911 calls have what they need to safely and effectively serve their communities.
And behind Matthew is a family that serves too.
His wife, Sally, is also a volunteer firefighter. Their two boys have grown up around the fire department and know what it means when Mom or Dad suddenly gets up from the dinner table—or when the pager goes off at 2:00 in the morning.
That’s the part of volunteer emergency services we sometimes forget.
Nearly 97% of South Dakota’s fire departments are volunteer or mostly volunteer.
Think about what that means.
Across our state, the person coming when you call 911 may be leaving their dinner table, their child’s ball game, their job, church, or a warm bed in the middle of the night.
They’re our farmers, business owners, teachers, mechanics, parents and neighbors.
And when the pager goes off, they go.
South Dakota depends on these men and women, and we cannot take them—or the families who make their service possible—for granted.
The challenges facing our volunteer fire departments and EMS services are real. Equipment and operating costs continue to rise. Recruiting and retaining volunteers is becoming harder in many communities. Yet when someone calls 911, we still expect someone to show up.
We have to make sure they can.
I’m incredibly proud to serve alongside people like Matthew and Sally. I’ve seen firsthand what these volunteers give to their communities, and I know how important strong local emergency services are to South Dakota.
As I prepare to serve in Pierre, our volunteer firefighters, EMS providers, and the families standing behind them need to know one thing:
I’ve got their back.
Because when the rest of us need help, they’ve always had ours. 🚒🇺🇸
👇 Tag a volunteer firefighter or EMS provider who deserves a thank you. Let’s fill the comments with the men and women across South Dakota who answer the call for their communities.
