The Lester Prairie Fire Department/First Responders is a dedicated team of trained firefighters and emergency medical personnel proudly serving the Lester Prairie area since 1890. With a strong commitment to protecting lives and property, the department combines tradition, training, and community involvement to provide reliable emergency services.

Membership Opportunities

Community members are welcome to apply to join the department. Applicants must:

• Meet physical and training standards
• Pass a background check and drug test
• Complete an interview and committee approval process
• Participate in department orientation

After acceptance, new members are required to successfully complete Firefighter I (FFI), Firefighter II (FFII), and Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) training. All required training is fully funded by the department.

To request an application or learn more about joining, contact any department member, or write to:

PO Box 911
Lester Prairie, MN 55354

Or email: firechief@lesterprairiemn.us

Department Overview

Located at 36 Redwood Street North, the department is comprised of 30 dedicated volunteer members.

The department provides fire and emergency medical services to:

• The City of Lester Prairie
• Most of Bergen Township
• A portion of Winsted Township

The department maintains automatic and mutual aid agreements with neighboring fire departments and regularly conducts joint training exercises to ensure coordinated emergency response.

The department currently holds an ISO rating of:

• 4 (City)
• 7 (Rural)

Training and Meetings

Members receive ongoing training through state vocational programs and certified in-house instructors. Training includes both fire suppression and emergency medical services.

Regular meetings are held:

• First Monday of each month – Business meeting
• Third Monday of each month – Training meeting

Additional training sessions are scheduled as needed.

Community Education & Fire Prevention

Prevention is a cornerstone of the department’s mission. The department actively promotes fire safety awareness through community programs and outreach.

Educational initiatives include:

• Fire prevention programs for students in grades K–5
• Instruction on “Stop, Drop, and Roll”
• Fire exit awareness and smoke alarm usage
• 911 emergency calling procedures
• Open houses for community members
• Demonstrations using a smoke trailer to simulate real fire conditions

Through these efforts, the department works to reduce fire risk and improve community preparedness.

Funding & Community Support

The Lester Prairie Fire Department is funded primarily through tax revenue. Community donations and contributions help fund additional equipment and improvements, minimizing additional cost to taxpayers.

Annual fundraising events include:

• A spring dance
• A fall pork chop dinner

Community support plays an important role in maintaining the high level of service provided to the area.

We also participate in the National Night Out event in August each year.

Current roster:

Chief 1 - Steve Dietel Fire Chief 2 - Chris Bahr Fire Chief 3 - Keith Christen

Captain 1/Fire - Scott Christenson Captain 2/Rescue - Nick Fosdick

Captain 3/Training Officer - Mike Lindberg

Secretary - Tifanie Shimanski Treasurer - Paul Christensen

Relief Association officers are: Nick Fosdick, President; Mike Lindberg, Vice President; Keith Christen, Secretary; and Paul Christensen, Treasurer.

Current members of the Lester Prairie Fire Department and First Responders include:

Josh Artman, Chris Bahr, Mitch Bondhus, Keith Christen, Paul Christensen, Scott Christenson, Kevin Danielzuk, Paul Dhoore, Shadd Dial, Steve Dietel, Mallory Feltmann, Jeff Forcier, Nick Fosdick, Alex Hoese, Tyler Hoese, James Hoof, Aaron Hoover, Dave Horsman, Matt Karschnik, Mike Lindberg, Luke Meyer, Chris Mike, Fred Pawelk, Dustin Reid, Tifanie Shimanski, Tyler Siewert, Lane Stephan, Matt Tonn, Maurice Tonn and Max Zitzloff.