Johnson Siding Volunteer Fire Department

08/12/2026

Please join us in extending our heartfelt congratulations to Rockerville FD Chief Gail Schmidt! Well Done Chief Schmidt!

Rockerville Volunteer Fire Department
Chief Gail Schmidt

Volunteer Fire Chief Gail Schmidt of the Rockerville Volunteer Fire Department in Rapid City, South Dakota, and Career Fire Chief Amy Ramon of the Cy-Fair Fire Department in Houston, Texas, have been named the 2026 IAFC Fire Chiefs of the Year.

08/12/2026

The tones dropped on Tuesday, August 11th at 8:01 pm for a smoke investigation, and JSFD personnel reported quickly to their respective stations. Engine 3-3 and Tender 1-4 from Station #2 staged at Station #1, while Engines 6-1 and 3-9 from Station #1 investigated the area of Norris Peak Rd from Geary Blvd to Nemo Rd. They were joined by Engines from SD Wildland Fire and the USFS. Command 1 was also there coordinating the search. All JSFD units were cleared when no active fire was located.

Before the engines could return to their stations or park, the pager sounded a second time for a large plume of smoke north of the Highway 385 & 44 West intersection. The results on this incident were identical to the first.

A significant thunderstorm with lightning and hail did pass through the area earlier on Tuesday that deposited varying amounts of rain, depending on one's location.

Wildland fuels are classified by the amount of time it takes for the surrounding environment to act upon it.

1-hour fuels: Diameter less than 0.25 inches (grasses, light brush, pine needles, small twigs); responds to humidity changes within 1 hour.

10-hour fuels: Diameter 0.25 to 1 inch (small branches, larger twigs); responds to environmental moisture changes within 10 hours.

100-hour fuels: Diameter 1 to 3 inches (medium-sized branchwood); responds to weather shifts within 100 hours.

1,000-hour fuels: Diameter 3 to 8 inches or greater (large logs, heavy downed timber); takes up to 1,000 hours to adjust to ambient moisture.

Despite the rainfall, it would not be impossible for a fire to start when you consider how dry the area has been this summer, and how widely scattered the rainfall totals. Please remain vigilant and comply with the appropriate restrictions in whatever area you may find yourself.

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

(File photo: Tender 1-4 and Engine 3-3)

08/12/2026

Day 5 of staffing Station #1 for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was another day with zero incidents in our district. We hope that continues through the remainder of the evening!
In the attached video Captain Lena is demonstrating how to apply foam over a fuel spill to prevent ignition. The operational days provide additional opportunities to train, and our firefighters are always anxious to polish their skills.
Our PSA today has to do with Emergency lights and sirens. Recently the Rochford FD was delayed by a group of UTVs that didn't yield to their emergency lights. Yesterday Meade County Sheriff's Office reiterated that message after a large grass fire started north of Sturgis and West of Bear Butte. JSFD doesn't often run Hot, but occasionally we must. We experienced better examples of what is expected on our way to a reported motorcycle accident Monday evening, but not perfect. The law states you must pull over to the right and STOP. Don't just pull over and drive on the shoulder. Stop. This applies whether you are being overtaken or meeting emergency vehicles with lights and sirens. You might be surprised how many first responders are killed or injured in traffic accidents when responding to someone's critical incident. Please help us stay safe by following this simple rule. We appreciate you!

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

08/11/2026

It seems I may have some splainin' to do to Chief regarding the recent delivery of not one, but TWO toasters to JSFD...
Just before the end of shift yesterday a second toaster arrived at Station #1. With the unexpected appearance of Toaster Two, we tripled our carbohydrate consumption capabilities, and our happiness.
No good deed goes unpunished, and I have yet to find out if my internet escapades will land me once again in the time-out corner to "think about what I've done".

Seriously, you folks that follow our social media posts are the best. We all need to laugh sometimes, and we're extremely grateful that you enjoy our attempts at levity. Thank you for your continued support!

We also want to extend our thanks to the Meade County Sheriff's Office, and salute our new followers. If you're just joining the group, you should know that between silly toaster posts we strive to share pertinent information in an attempt to further your knowledge and enhance your safety. Welcome to the page!

There is severe weather possible this afternoon, so keep an eye on the sky and an ear to the TV or radio, and heed the issued warnings.

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

08/11/2026

We are not immune to tragedy here in the Black Hills. 15 years ago today, SD Wildland Fire Division firefighter Trampus Haskvitz lost his life in the line of duty on the Coal Canyon Fire near Edgemont, SD. Two other members of Engine 561 were also injured in the burn-over. Please allow yourself a quiet moment of reflection to honor and remember his sacrifice. He will not be forgotten.

08/11/2026

Our on-duty personnel did not receive any calls for service between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm on Day 4 of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. However, they quickly returned around 6:45 when JSFD was paged for a single motorcycle accident near Highway 385 and Rochford Road. Rescue 7 rolled out from Station #1 and Squad 6 responded from Station #2. When Rescue 7 arrived they were unable to locate a victim or an accident. Dispatchers then informed us that new information indicated the person involved had left the scene. We hope that means they were uninjured, and not that they were uninterested in meeting our first responders (including the SD Highway Patrolman that was right behind us). Squad 6 cancelled before arriving and Rescue 7 cleared all JSFD Units.

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

08/10/2026

*** URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT ***

Date: August 10, 2026

JSFD is feeling very blessed today, and we have many to thank.

Meade County Sheriff's Office; thank you for bringing it to our attention that we lacked a toaster. We didn't even know we needed one until you brought this glaring inadequacy to the forefront.

(For those of you playing catch-up, we jokingly tagged MCSO yesterday about our lack of a toasting tool, and one of our faithful followers jumped at the opportunity. Today's on-staff crew was available to accept on our behalf).

Our toaster arrived not courtesy of the E-4 Mafia, but from a C-4 Munchkin (the C is for Cute). Her mom decided after seeing our tongue-in-cheek reel that nothing was too good for JSFD. We can not thank her and her wonderful daughter enough.

We also want to thank our followers. Most of what we see and/or do is serious business. We can't and don't share many of the sordid details. We do like to have a little fun when possible and allow you a glimpse of the dark humor we use to keep things in perspective. Thank you for your understanding and support. We appreciate you commenting, reacting, and sharing our stories and announcements. You are the community we volunteer to serve. We appreciate you!

To any of our LE friends in the neighborhood, you're always welcome to stop by, but it's BYOB (Bring Your Own Bagel/Bread).

For any of you that don't follow the Meade County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook, you're missing out. You'll be doing yourself a favor because their content is over the top. And if you haven't hit the Follow button for JSFD, please do so! We need all the help we can get. Before today, we didn't even have a toaster!

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

08/10/2026

Day 3 of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was a quiet one for the on-duty staff at Station #1.
We started with breakfast at the Rimrock Community Center between 8:00-9:00, and followed up with our assignments briefing promptly at 9:00.
The remainder of the day was training, cleaning, and public relations. Captain Franklin performed familiarization refreshers on Engines 1-2, 3-9, and 6-1. We also performed some station chores and washed some turnout gear, and completed some check rides on apparatus.
Beyond that we sold quite a few t-shirts and visited with a lot of great rally-goers.
Not a bad way to spend a Sunday, and we are certainly happy that everyone passed through our district safely today. Thank you!

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸

08/09/2026

Before our shift today we availed ourselves of the excellent breakfast next door at the Rimrock Community Center. They have been serving their "Biker Breakfast" for somewhere between 20 and 25 years now (no one really knows for sure).
It's a great way to start your day and support our local gathering place. The community center is a hub for the Johnson Siding area, as they host everything from weddings to polling.
If your day's ride is going to include Highway 44 West in the morning, stop and tell the crew Hello and Thank You!

👨‍🚒 Be Smart and Be Safe! 🇺🇸



Rimrock Community Center

08/09/2026

As our shift is getting ready to start this morning, I realized that much like the Meade County Sheriff’s Department, we don't have a toaster!

If enough people watch and share this video, perhaps they will see fit to donate one of the five they recently received from the E-4 Mafia to us?

Help us out!


Meade County Sheriff's Office