Department History

The Olmsted Township Fire Department has been a completely full-time Department since 2003. Before 2003, we existed as a Combination Department utilizing both full and part Time members. The Olmsted Township Fire Department was founded and began providing services to the community on January 1, 1947. The 1947 Fire Department was an all-volunteer department, consisting of about 25 members.

An interesting fact is that the first fire for the newly founded Fire Department came on February 8, 1947. It was a garage fire on the corner of Cook and Stearns Roads. At this time in the Department's history, volunteers were called out on emergencies by loud sirens throughout the Township. To this day there is still one mounted in the top of Town Hall. The current fire station still sits on the same property as the original fire station.

The first Full-Time member was hired and started on January 1, 1968. Shortly after this, another member was hired Full Time and the two men would work 24 hours on duty and have 24 hours off. Halfway through that year, another man was hired, and the three men worked 24 hours on duty followed by 48 hours off duty. This is still the work schedule that we keep.

Olmsted Township Fire Department

Chiefs of Department

• Vernon Wentz (1947 to 1952)
• William Sprague (1952 to 1955)
• Virgil Valek (1955 to 1982)
• Don Schmidt (1982 to 1985)
• Dan Toth (1985 to 1988)
• Al Sanders (1988 to 1998)
• John Cecelich (1998 to 2007)
• Mario Bellido (2007 to 2013)
• John Rice (2013 to 2015)
• Pete Nelson (2015)
• Patrick Kelly (2015 to 2023)
• Christopher Methvin (2023 to present)