Quinn Volunteer Fire Department Breaks Ground

Jerome Harvey, Pennington County Fire Administrator, began the groundbreaking ceremony with well-deserved praises for volunteer firefighters nationwide and residents of the state of South Dakota. It was a beautiful spring day on April 8 when multiple firefighting and law enforcement agencies with a multitude of South Dakotans came together to celebrate a momentous occasion. The residents of Quinn, a small community located in the far eastern side of Pennington County, welcomed them to the future site of the Quinn Volunteer Fire Department (QVFD) after years of planning and fundraising.

Harvey noted that 96.6 percent of the firefighters in the state of South Dakota are volunteers and that the state ranks third in the nation for volunteer firefighters. He said that being a volunteer firefighter is “one of the most American things we do.” The concept of volunteer firefighting began in the colonies of the United States. Many of the founding fathers served as volunteers including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Harvey cited an incident with the Continental army in 1783, where Washington stated that we, as a nation, owe our existence to people whose names we will never know. The groundbreaking ceremony in Quinn serves as a good example of all levels of city, county, and state agencies coming together to better serve residents of the community. He continued, stating that people in the future may not know the names of the QFVD firefighters but they will recognize the legacy they leave for others. Harvey recognized Fire Chief Dave Humphries, Deputy Fire Chief Jim Johnson and Quinn residents, Dawn and Troy Richter. Before breaking ground, Chaplain Jim Tolley blessed the ground donated by the Richter family for the QVFD.