Johnson Siding Volunteer Fire Department

Johnson Siding Volunteer Fire Department Johnson Siding VFD serves the central Black Hills of South Dakota. Founded in 1965 we’re proud of our heritage and the emergency services we provide.

06/04/2026

JSFD Rescue 8 was one of many area resources requested by Black Hawk Fire Department to assist in the search efforts being conducted June 3rd, 2026. A crew of three reported for duty at 8:00 am at the Black Hawk Fire Department on Peaceful Pines Rd.
While we are saddened by the outcome, it was our great honor to be associated with the extraordinary people on hand for today's operation.
It would be impossible to improve upon Meade County's press release, so please read it in its entirety.

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

In another example of interagency cooperation, Chief Smart gave a tour of the JSFD training grounds to representatives f...
05/28/2026

In another example of interagency cooperation, Chief Smart gave a tour of the JSFD training grounds to representatives from the Lead Volunteer Fire Department on Wednesday, May 27th. Captain Taylor Ballert and Safety Officer Alan Williams are researching facilities to learn more about what other departments in the area are doing. Their goal is to find out what works, and what could be improved, as they prepare to construct their own burn building at the Jerome F. Harvey Training Complex in Lead.

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

On Saturday, May 23rd JSFD was joined by the on-duty crew from RCFD Station #5 for vehicle stabilization training. Stat...
05/23/2026

On Saturday, May 23rd JSFD was joined by the on-duty crew from RCFD Station #5 for vehicle stabilization training. Station #5 is of course the closest RCFD Station to our district, and when available, would be the primary mutual aid department for any type of incident. Their Firefighters and Medics expressed great appreciation for the invitation, and not only gave excellent feedback during our training, but participated in our After Action Review. The opportunity to train together gave us all a chance to come together in a way that isn't usually possible at a real-world incident. We appreciate their professionalism and support, and we hope for more opportunities to train together.
We also want to thank all of our volunteers that gave up their Saturday morning on a three-day weekend to practice their craft and hone their skills. Strong Work Team!
Let us also not forget why Memorial Day exists. It is a remembrance of those that gave their lives so we might enjoy the freedoms they died to protect. It is less of a holiday than a responsibility to honor their memory and give thanks for their sacrifice. One way we can do that every day is by serving our community through volunteering. If you would like to join our team, please contact us directly, or reach out to Pennington County Fire Service for more information.

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

Rapid City Fire Department

JSFD responded with several additional agencies to a structure fire east of Keystone on May 15th. Battle Creek Fire Depa...
05/16/2026

JSFD responded with several additional agencies to a structure fire east of Keystone on May 15th. Battle Creek Fire Department answered the initial page in the early afternoon, and upon arrival made the decision to strike a 2nd alarm which triggered the prearranged mutual aid system to bring in specific additional resources.
JSFD Tender 1-4 was among the many other engines that were able to provide a continuous relay of water to the scene of the fire, thus allowing firefighters to contain and cool the flames. In many rural parts of the Black Hills, fire hydrants and not always available, and shuttling water with tenders is the only option available to sustain extended firefighting operations.
For a complete list of the departments involved and additional details on the fire, please visit the page for Pennington County Fire Service included in the comments.

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

We're afraid you'll be hearing this a lot this summer....The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for ...
05/11/2026

We're afraid you'll be hearing this a lot this summer....
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the remainder of today, and we expect more of the same later in the week.
According to the NWS, a near-critical to critical fire weather pattern is forecast to develop across much of western South Dakota starting today, and
continue through much of the week. The most critical days at this time appear to be today, Wednesday, and Thursday.
A RED FLAG WARNING is issued when temperatures exceed 80° F, relative humidities are low (RH less than 30%) and winds exceed 30 mph.
Today's RH could be between 10-20%, winds could gust as high as 30 to 40 MPH, with a sudden shift from south to northwest winds during the afternoon and evening due to passage
of a dry cold front. In this environment, any new fires could spread rapidly and be difficult to control.

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

05/09/2026

Our Saturday, May 9th training exercise involved a multifaceted problem. We were given a set of coordinates on the shore of Pactola Reservoir, and crews from Rescue 8 and Fire Boat 1 had to navigate to the position to locate the "victim".
The victim each time was a firefighter chosen at random, who enjoyed the dubious honor of being 'packaged' for extrication, and transported back to the boat ramp. We were able to complete three complete evolutions with a different location, boat operator, and victim each time. The exercise included coordinating communication between Command and different assets, plus patient handling and situational awareness.
Not a bad way to spend a Saturday morning! Show up to train up!

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

April calls for service were definitely up in 2026.They included a few events that spanned across numerous days, althoug...
05/08/2026

April calls for service were definitely up in 2026.
They included a few events that spanned across numerous days, although the extended operations are not included in the total number of incidents.
We were actually paged out for 4 separate fire related incidents.
In addition we were directly paged for 3 separate search operations, one boat related incident, and one smoke investigation which was determined to be unfounded.
We had one vehicle accident in April, and 10 calls which are classified as Medical Calls.
Also in April our PIO was given an opportunity to appear with Rambo in the morning on Classic Hits Q923 for a live interview regarding the wildland fire forecast, and Riverfront Broadcasting's "Help Our Heros" enterprise.
All in all, it was a busy month! We encourage anyone with an interest in serving their community to visit with their local fire department;
Lousy hours, low pay, and Cool Hats!

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

Wednesday, April 29th was a busy day for JSFD Rescue 8. Around 6:40 in the evening, Dispatch requested mutual aid to hel...
04/30/2026

Wednesday, April 29th was a busy day for JSFD Rescue 8. Around 6:40 in the evening, Dispatch requested mutual aid to help retrieve an individual who was well off any beaten path and unable to find their way back to civilization. Fortunately, they were uninjured and otherwise healthy. This person had been out overnight, and was unfamiliar with the area. They established contact with 911 operators by texting in SOS mode to facilitate their recovery.
JSFD coordinated with the Pennington County Sheriff's Office and Dispatch to locate the individual in the remote area.
JSFD personnel had not been home long when the tones sounded again at 11:00 pm for a medical call. Firefighters from JSFD assisted paramedics from Medic 5, who transported a patient for further evaluation.
We tell ourselves a lot of things; "That won't happen to me", "Someone will come", and other things to reassure ourselves, but the reality is if people didn't volunteer with their local fire departments, many of these events would have a less pleasant outcome. Volunteers are needed.
Maybe it's time for you to step forward.

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

Silver City Volunteer Fire Department
Rapid City Fire Department
Pennington County 911
Pennington County Sheriff's Office
Pennington County Search and Rescue

Captain Justin Lena and Lt. Andy Owens got caught by a photographer hard at work on the Murphy Fire today. Nice work guy...
04/23/2026

Captain Justin Lena and Lt. Andy Owens got caught by a photographer hard at work on the Murphy Fire today.
Nice work guys!

Thursday - April 23rd, 2026JSFD Engine 3-3 has been dispatched to the Murphy Fire northwest of Hermosa with a crew of th...
04/23/2026

Thursday - April 23rd, 2026
JSFD Engine 3-3 has been dispatched to the Murphy Fire northwest of Hermosa with a crew of three.

Address

12250 W Highway 44
Rapid City, SD
57702

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Johnson Siding Volunteer Fire Department posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Johnson Siding Volunteer Fire Department:

Shortcuts

Share

Category