FORT PIERRE - Later this week, the city of Fort Pierre will be filled with hundreds of firefighters and emergency personnel going through training to help keep their towns safe.
State Fire School is a long-standing tradition for South Dakota firefighters, and also for Pierre and Fort Pierre department members, but this week's event will be a first in one major way.
The Fort Pierre Volunteer Fire Department has never hosted State Fire School on its own before, but firefighters on the department have been busy for the past three years planning the feat with the idea that it's time to keep the events in the West River community and not make it a joint-effort with the Pierre department, according to volunteer firefighter Shane Cronin.
Cronin, who was in charge of coordinating 2007 State Fire School, said department members began making plans to host the 2007 school more than four years ago, when they had to apply and have firefighters from across the state vote.
Then a small committee of firefighters began meeting to plan the specifics of the training school more than 18 months ago, and a group of about 20 volunteer firefighters has been working on coordination weekly, and sometimes daily for about six months.
"We knew it would be a challenge when we decided to do it," assistant fire chief of the Fort Pierre department Rick Cronin said. "It's a lot of work, but when you spread a lot of work out among 150 people or so and it's a lot easier."
The members of the ladies auxiliary have also done much of the coordinating and fundraising, the firefighters said. They have also put together a program for auxiliary members, who are generally spouses and significant others of firefighters.
The opening ceremony for State Fire School is Thursday afternoon, but firefighters will be setting up for the events Wednesday and Thursday morning. Closing ceremonies will take place Saturday evening.
Classes and hands-on training will be the major part of 2007 State Fire School, but firefighters and community members will also have the opportunity to mix during some of the scheduled events - such as the evolution competitions and a parade.
At 3 p.m. Thursday, teams of firefighters and auxiliary members from across the state will compete in evolutions, which are races in which crews pull the hose from a truck, get it hooked up to spray water and extinguish a simulated fire by hitting a target. The evolution competition is open for public viewing and will be held in the Expo Center parking lot.
At 6 p.m. Friday, all of the fire departments with members enrolled in fire school will take part in a parade down Deadwood Avenue. Some departments will march and others will drive their fire trucks in the parade.
Later that evening, the Fort Pierre Fire Department will put on a fireworks display, similar to the one held on the Fourth of July each year in Fort Pierre. Fireworks can be seen in the vicinity of the Stanley County Fairgrounds, above the Missouri River, but the grandstand at the fairgrounds will not be open, according to Rick Cronin.
Vendor booths and fire truck displays at the Parkview gymnasium and in the parking lot will also be open for public viewing from noon to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
State Fire School events will be held at the Fort Pierre Fire Station, in Stanley County Schools and on school grounds and at the Stanley County Fairgrounds and Expo Center.
Throughout the weekend, Rick Cronin estimates that about 300 community members will be helping serve the approximately 1,000 extra people in town, in some capacity.
"We're putting it on, but it's the whole community really that will make State Fire School successful," said Shane Cronin. "Businesses and people here have been great and supportive, and we want these firefighters to come to town and have a great time and spend a lot of money, so we appreciate that."
