Who do you want to see responding to an out of control fire? Do we wonder if only a few will show up? Do we wonder if they will know what to do? Do we want just any volunteer? No! We want to see a trained group of people manning a fire engine, addressing the situation and responding appropriately. We want to see dedicated volunteers that know our community and respond with caring concern. What we want in those critical times are exactly what we get - highly trained, civic minded individuals that quickly respond to our distress calls - and they are the Yankton Volunteer Fire Department.

Do they sit and wait for a fire call? No, they are at their job sites working in manufacturing plants, managing staff, delivering merchandise, conducting business, providing for their families - working full-time jobs. You will also see them coaching or assisting with soccer, basketball, baseball, wrestling, gymnastics plus many more volunteer activities. Their life is involved with family, work and recreation except for most Monday nights when they become fire fighters.

Every 2nd and 4th Mondays, training is conducted for about three hours. The 3rd Monday they gather in the meeting room for their organization meeting. The 1st Monday is the meeting for the Executive Committee. On those rare 5th Mondays they have an open evening. From January to the middle of October this group of forty-seven citizens has responded to 74 fire and emergency rescue calls, logged 3,041 hours that includes 1,632 hours of training. If the Yankton Volunteer Fire Department was a full time, paid fire fighter staff, it would increase the city budget by at least $1.5 million.

When trainings are available through the Southeast District School, they take time to attend the classes and become certified in various fire fighting specialties. When the fires were raging in the Black Hills this summer five fire fighters took a fire truck out to assist. In October they talk, show videos and give demonstrations using the Smoke House to preschool through 3rd grade classes about fire safety and prevention. During the past year they cooked and served at the Banquet and cleaned their designated 2 miles of Highway 50 ditches.

Why do the volunteer fire fighters put their lives on the line when the call comes in? They have become a tight knit group that look after each other and care about the people that live here. Being on call 24 hours / 7 days a week they generously serve to add quality of life to Yankton and the surrounding community.