Chief: Joe Bayne
Assistant Chief: Billy Norton
Secretary/Treasure: Josh Kelchen
Captain: Nick Kahler
Captain/Safety Officer: Ron Kelchen
Lieutenant: Brian Hinrichs
Training Officer: Paul Warner
Assistant Training Officer: David Husmann
We are a volunteer department of 35 firemen and 5 junior fire fighters. Training is very important to our department and we recognize the dedication it takes to earn the following: We currently have 24 members who are Fire Fighter I Certified, 14 members that are Fire Fighter II Certified, 25 members are HazMat Operation Certified, 1 HazMat Operation Tech Certified, 5 members are Driver Operator Certified, and 5 members are Instructor I Certified. Most of our department is CPR certified also. We have a meeting and two nights of training each month.
We have three social events each year and two fund raising events. The social events include a wives supper in February, a smelt fry in April for the retired firemen, and a picnic in July for the families to get together. The fund raising events are our annual 4th of July Breakfast and the Fireman’s Dance in November. We also have an area set up at the fire station where the community can leave their cans and bottles. Each member of the department is assigned a week to sort them. The cans and bottles are then redeemed through Advancement Services and that money is used for the Fireworks display on the 4th of July and other things that our department may need.
We have hosted the Iowa Fire Fighters Convention three times all off which were a great success for our department. Monticello Fire was chosen Fire Department of the year in 2010 to get this award your department is nominated with a letter of recommendation and voted on at the Iowa Fire Fighters Assoc. mid year meeting. Monticello was nominated by the Anamosa Fire Dept.
A quote about our department that reads, “There is an abiding tradition in the Monticello Fire Department—-a tradition of good equipment with good men to operate and maintain it.” We strive to keep that tradition alive. The Monticello Fire Department was established in 1868.