When fires or farm and traffic accidents occur in rural South Dakota, it is often volunteers who are the first to respond.
“When you have the low populations that we do in rural America, our communities don’t have the income to pay for first responders, so it is important for those of us who can volunteer, to volunteer – you know it takes a village mentality,” explained John Beaner, former Fire Chief for North Marshall Volunteer Fire Department in Britton.
A sales agronomist for Full Circle Ag Cooperative, Beaner is among more than 20 co-op employees who serve their communities as volunteer first responders.
“We depend on Full Circle employees who volunteer,” said Nate Dinger, current Fire Chief of North Marshall Volunteer Fire Department. As a cooperative member, Dinger said he is proud that Full Circle Ag Cooperative cultivates an employee culture where giving back to the community is not only accepted, but it is encouraged. This aligns with the cooperative mission, explained Joe Gustafson, Full Circle Agronomy Manager.
“When you work for a co-op, you are part of a team of employees working for the farmers you serve. This team mindset translates outside of the cooperative and into the community as well,” Gustafson said. “Because as a cooperative we are member-owned, we feel like we face challenges together with our farmers. So, it is more like a partnership than a traditional retail relationship.”
Beaner added, “There are very few calls that I have gone on as a first responder that I don’t know at least one of the victims or their family members on at least a first-name basis. I always hope recognizing a familiar person helps take the edge off or provides some comfort when they are having such a horrible day.”
Giving back to the community is the reason Full Circle Ag truck driver Todd Widener wanted to serve on the Langford Volunteer Fire Department. “The town of Langford welcomed me and my family to town with open arms when we moved here from the West Coast after the 2008 housing crash,” Widener said. “We lost everything we owned. I found work as a truck driver. We moved here with no money in the bank and a U-Haul. A local family sold us our home contract for deed. It was a blessing from God.”
Volunteer first responders like Widener, Beaner and Gustafson respond to much more than building and property fires. They are often the first on site to help after a farm accident or natural disaster.
In addition to the first responder training provided by the volunteer fire department, as cooperative employees they also receive extensive farm storage and machinery safety training. Gustafson said this prepares them to assess most situations they encounter in their rural community.
“We are able to size up the scene and understand what is going on, this allows us to make quick decisions that can save lives,” Gustafson said.
In addition to many cooperative employees volunteering, the cooperative also loans equipment, like water tankers, when needed. Support from local employers like Full Circle Ag Cooperative is vital when emergencies happen, said Matt McCranie, a farmer and the Fire Chief of the Claremont Volunteer Fire Department.
“Full Circle Cooperative and other companies that allow the employees who are volunteer firefighters to stop what they are doing and respond to a call – whether it is EMS or a fire – in our small community this is huge because when there is an emergency, we need all hands on deck.”
