HYALITE RURAL FIRE DISTRICT

WEDNESDAY, June 30, 2021 – 4:00pm – 8:00pm

Cottonwood Fire Station – 10200 Cottonwood Road

The summer months in Montana can bring dry weather and strong winds which can lead to wildfires. The Wildfire Awareness BBQ brings the community together to learn about wildfires, and how to make your home more defensible against wildfires.

Hamburgers and Hot Dogs will be served. There will be plenty of fun for the kids too! We have firetruck rides, and fun activities such as spraying a real fire hose, trying on turnout gear, and a dunk tank.

View the video below from 2016. This was just prior to the Sourdough and Rae Fire Departments merging to become the Hyalite Rural Fire District.

2016 Video Highlights

Our Maintenance Captain, Chris Eaton, has retired. Chris has been instrumental in training over 100 volunteers since 2014. His dedication and impact to the Hyalite Rural Fire District is immeasurable. He has helped form the basis for many volunteers to advance their careers in the fire service industry.

If you are in need of a fantastic fishing guide, you will be able to find him on the Madison River.

We wish Chris all the best with his semi-retirement.

Our new Maintenance Captain is Colin Prato. Colin has been with Hyalite Rural Fire District since 2012 as a volunteer and part-time Maintenance Assistant.

We are excited to have Colin as part of the full time staff at the Hyalite Rural Fire District.

The Trustees of the Hyalite Rural Fire District are pleased to announce the selection of Brian Nickolay as the next Fire Chief. Brian has served the district for well over a decade most recently serving as Assistant Chief and then as interim Chief in the wake of Jason Revisky’s retirement. 

A search committee composed of two trustees, the district administrator, and two volunteer firefighters reviewed applications from around the country and were unanimous in their conclusion that Brian was best suited to lead the department. I hope all district residents will join me in welcoming Brian to his new position. 

Sincerely,
Pete Geddes, Board Chair

Ken joins the Hyalite Rural Fire District Board of Trustees for a term of three years. Ken and his wife Diane along with two of their six children moved to Hyalite Foothills in 2019.  Ken has served in leadership positions at church as an elder and clerk (board chair).  Ken was involved for many years in youth football as an assistant coach. We are excited to have Ken’s experience and knowledge join the Hyalite Rural Fire District Board of Trustees.

We are excited to announce as of May 1st the Cottonwood Fire Station is our newest resident firefighter facility. The fire station at 10200 Cottonwood road is now home to four of our firefighters. As we have seen from resident programs at the Rae and Sourdough Fire Stations, we look forward to reduced response times and faster service delivery to our taxpayers. All three Hyalite Fire Department Fire Stations now have full resident programs. This includes eight residents at the Sourdough Fire Station, four residents at the Cottonwood Fire Station and three residents at the Rae Fire Station

Hyalite Fire District residents, We have been made aware of a mistake in that some Hyalite Fire District residents received a mailing from the Central Valley Fire District in regards to their mill levy renewal. Please know this was an error and at this time the Hyalite Fire District is not asking for any levy increases or renewals. Any questions please contact the Hyalite Fire District at 406-586-3770 or info@hyalitefire.org

The Hyalite Fire Department would like to congratulate the following 2021 Montana State University Graduates and Hyalite Fire Department Volunteer Firefighters:

ALEX RICHARD – SOCIOLOGY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

NATHAN LEAHY – CONSERVATION BIOLOGY and ECOLOGY

Your dedication to school and the Hyalite Rural Fire Department is greatly appreciated.