January 7, 2016-After over 25 years of dedicated service, Virginia Fire Department Battalion Chief Francis “Buddy” Mell has retired. Mell also served as a Firefighter/Paramedic. Buddy is known as a unique individual with a “heart of gold” and his firefighting and EMS experiences could fill several books. Congratulations, Buddy!

September 19 – The Cloquet Area Fire District is receiving a $25,000 AFG from the Department of Homeland Security. The grant is for Operations and Safety.

September 14 – The Taconite and Hermantown fire departments are getting Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) from the Department of Homeland Security. Hermantown is receiving $138,477 while Taconite is getting $25,996. Both grants are for Operations and Safety.

September 9 – The Bovey Fire Department has received an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) in the amount of $75,530. The announcement is from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The funding will be used for Operations and Safety.

Former McDavitt Fire Chief Gail Lanyk was recently named Firefighter of the Year by the Minnesota State Fire Department Association(MSFDA). The award took place during the organization’s annual meeting in St. Cloud. Chief Lanyk was honored for her 42 years of dedicated service to the McDavitt Fire Department, with 16 of those years as fire chief. In writing her nomination for the award, McDavitt Fire Chief Stan Sokoloski praised Lanyk for her work as not only a firefighter, but a fire instructor. “She is willing and teaches anyone firefighting,” said Sokoloski. “Our department has accomplished much thru Gail Lanyk’s professionalism and outstanding leadership and she has shown the community what a fire department can do for the community.” Chief Lanyk started the Junior Firefighter Program with three individuals. Two of the junior firefighters have remained with the department and one is attending fire school to make firefighting her career. Chief Lanyk is a member of the St. Louis County Radio User Board and an active member of the Arrowhead EMS Association.
Editor’s Note: Gail Lanyk represents what being a true professional is all about. Her dedication is second to none and she is well deserving of this award. Congratulations Gail!

The Clinton Fire Department has received an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) in the amount of $175,143. The money will be used for Operations and Safety. The announcement was made April 24 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

February 18 – Fifty seven year old Randy Hiti, a 26 year member of the Rice Lake Fire Department, passed away this evening while responding to a medical emergency call. Hiti was found unresponsive in his garage and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. Since he was responding to a call at the time, his passing is considered a Line Of Duty Death (LODD). According to fellow firefighters, Hiti was an extremely active member of the department and hardly ever missed a call. He died while doing something that he absolutely loved, and that was being a first responder and firefighter.
Visitation is set for 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 24, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Duluth, 4230 St. John’s Avenue. Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:00 a.m. A procession of fire apparatus is planned from the Dougherty Funeral Home(600 East 2nd Street, Duluth) to the church. Assembly of fire personnel and apparatus will begin at 8:00 a.m.

Editor’s note: Randy was thoroughly dedicated to the Rice Lake Fire Department. Whenever I talked with him, his first words were about the fire department and how much he enjoyed being part of the organization. His level of dedication and caring for the fire service will be missed by his department, his brother and sister firefighters and the entire Lakehead fire organization. Let his passing serve as a reminder that our profession needs more dedicated people like him and in Randy’s name, let’s try to recruit more men and women who will step into his boots and carry the EMS and fire service forward.

January 4 – Hibbing, Chisholm and Keewatin firefighters were dispatched around 5:45 p.m. this evening to a report of smoke in the Mann Theatre building in Hibbing. Firefighters discovered that the minor smoke problem appeared to be an electric motor in an HVAC unit. The theatre was in operation at the time. Crews were on the scene for less than 45 minutes.

It’s now official! Virginia firefighter/paramedic Chris Clark has been named Fire Marshal. Clark had been Interim Fire Marshal for a number of months before the city finally made the title permanent. Clark is a frequent contributor to The Northland Fire Wire website and the Friends of The Northland FireWire Facebook page. Congratulations, Chris!

Virginia Fire Marshal Chris Clark