Bemidji Fire Department honors retired firefighters at awards banquet

A department that answers more than 1,200 emergency calls a year used its awards banquet to honor five retired firefighters, a reminder that every rescue in Bemidji and Beltrami County depends on experience built over decades.

The ceremony recognized the people behind the city’s fire and rescue work, but the stakes go well beyond a dinner program. Bemidji Fire Department serves the City of Bemidji, Wilton, Turtle River and 15 surrounding townships, and the city says it operates as a joint fire protection agency for 18 local government units through an agreement with the Bemidji Rural Fire Association. That regional footprint means the department is not just responding to house fires. It is also handling rescue calls, emergency medical service runs, water and ice rescue, hazardous materials operations, confined space rescue, aircraft rescue fire fighting, rope rescue, trench rescue and structural collapse rescue.

The department’s 2024 annual review described the year as demanding and dynamic, with growing service demands and limited resources. Chief Justin M. Sherwood said the department’s commitment remained to protect lives, property and the environment, and its stated vision is to be a community and regional leader in training, wellness, prevention and emergency services.

That context gives the retiree recognition added weight. In a department where knowledge of local roads, rural driveways, ice conditions, mutual-aid partners and high-risk rescue work can matter as much as equipment, retiring firefighters take with them years of institutional memory. Honoring five retirees alongside the awards also underscored how much local emergency readiness relies on seasoned responders who have spent years training for dangerous, unpredictable calls.

The city’s annual review also said Bemidji Fire Department’s goal is to have four full-time firefighters per shift by 2026, a staffing target that reflects continued pressure to match coverage with demand. In a 2024 city council packet, the deputy chief’s role was described as handling administrative and operational duties, and the department’s leadership structure has already evolved. In July 2021, Bemidji Fire Department promoted Michael K. Yavarow, Jr. to the newly created position of deputy fire chief.

Sherwood thanked the Bemidji Rural Fire Association, city council, Mayor Jorge Prince, City Manager Richard Spiczka and city staff in the annual review. At the banquet, the message was clear: the firefighters who retired helped build the system Bemidji still depends on when a call comes in.