Did you know that the City of Medina is served by four volunteer fire departments? Hamel Fire covers the northeastern area, Loretto Fire covers the northwestern area, Long Lake Fire covers the southeast area and Maple Plain Fire covers the southwest quadrant of the City. These volunteer men and women are people that live and/or work in our community with ordinary jobs, raise families, and participate in everyday activities just like you and me. Nevertheless, they train and are prepared to respond when the call for help comes. These dedicated individuals respond to more than fires. They are trained first responders that response to medical emergencies, rescues, hazardous material situations, and much more.
Rowdy Dorweiler has served on the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department since 1999. He works at Farmer State Bank of Hamel and is able to respond to calls for help during the day. Rowdy is married with three kids who are involved in activities including rodeo, hockey, baseball, soccer, and gymnastics. The most unusual call Rowdy has received was for a chemical smell in the area. As the fire department approached the scene, they detected the smell of a skunk! No one was injured during this call and it ended up being quite comical.
Ryan Gregor lives nearby in Loretto city limits and works in Medina at Gregor Farm and Greenhouse. Ryan serves on both the Loretto Fire Department (since 2014) and Hamel Fire Department (since 2009). Because of his proximity to both departments, he is able to respond to calls days and nights. He is married with a 1 ½ year old son. He enjoys spending his free time with his family taking walks along County Road 19 Regional Trail and visiting Baker Park. He also enjoys traveling. Ryan’s first experience as a firefighter was responding to a call at 3 a.m. on Christmas morning for a sprinkler system that had froze and burst in a vacant business. He will never forget squeegeeing the water out of that business in the freezing cold.
Fire Department Open Houses
All four fire departments will be hosting open houses in October, where residents are invited to come meet your firefighters, participate in family fun activities, enjoy some food, and learn about fire prevention tips.
- Long Lake Fire Department – Monday, October 2nd from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Station #1, 340 North Willow Drive, Long Lake, MN
- Hamel Fire Department – Saturday, October 7th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 92 Hamel Road, Hamel, MN
- Maple Plain Fire Department – Saturday, October 7th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the Steak Fry is from 4 -7 p.m. at 1645 Pioneer Avenue, Maple Plain, MN
- Loretto Fire Department – Saturday, October 14th from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 259 Medina Street, Loretto, MN
The fire departments are always looking for new members that are willing to be trained and that have a passion to serve and protect our community. Find out which fire department serves your house and get their contact information on the City of Medina’s website at: http://medinamn.us/citygov/departments/volunteer-fire/.
