Prevent

The Webster City Fire Department uses Fire Prevention Week each year to remind the public of the dangers of fire, and steps everyone can take to prevent it.

This year it will be the week of Oct. 4-10. During that week, the Webster City fire fighters visit elementary schools to instruct students in basic fire safety. An evening open house at the firehouse features a fire safety house, a simulated home showing fire hazards and how to avoid them, and a chance to learn how to use fire extinguishers. There will also be an appearance by Oreo, the department’s firedog mascot. A free dinner is usually served to attendees.

According to Stansfield, many home fires start in the kitchen. Smoking in the home and simply turning on the furnace can also be a major cause of fire. If concerned that there are unsafe conditions in a residence, anyone can phone the WCFD at 515-832-9131 to schedule a free home safety survey. Dangerous conditions, obvious to a firefighter, may escape your attention.

Homes that do not have smoke detectors may qualify for a free home smoke detector. The department installed 200 of them in Webster City homes in 2025.

“These are high-quality detectors with a 10-year life. We especially like to see them go to homes without any smoke detection capability today,” Stansfield said.

Prepare

Anyone who thinks there’s nothing new in firehoses would be wrong. Holding a firehose is hard work, and if doing it for hours on end, fatigue will take a toll. New low-pressure nozzles put into service at WCFD in 2025 are a great improvement.

“They take less strength to control, reduce fatigue, and allow a firefighter to work longer,” according to Stansfield.

Training and retraining, is something WCFD has long practiced. The department budget insures it is adequate for both basic and advanced training annually. Two new firefighters joined WCFD in 2025 and are enrolled in Firefighter 1 training. This involves months of study — learning about topics that include the behaviour of fires, building construction materials, safe equipment handling and WCFD’s operating procedures.

Certification as a Firefighter 1, the entry level for anyone who wants to become part of the fire department, involves demonstrating 26 different skills. This includes the knowledge and ability to quickly and correctly put on gear and self-contained breathing apparatus. The SCBA allows a firefighter to breath good air and safely work a fire. Those in training must also know how to force the entry into a burning building, how to rescue a fellow team member, and how to safely exit a fire.

One of the first duties on reaching a fire is to turn off a building’s utilities, such as water, electrical and gas. This requires an understanding of where each of these utility shut-offs would be located and quickly find them to shut them off.

Once a fire is contained, firefighters must know how to clean and check ladders, vent equipment, hand tools, and clean, inspect and return hoses to service.

Recruiting new firefighters has become increasingly difficult. There are many reasons people are reluctant to volunteer. Fighting fires is dangerous and stressful work, and it requires learning new skills. Lifestyle changes are also required. Since most WCFD firefighters are volunteers, they must be ready to answer calls at all hours, regardless of weather or disruption to family life. WCFD’s standard is to answer every call four minutes or less after it’s received. This takes staff who know their jobs, equipment in readiness at all times, and a commitment to quick response.

Stansfield proudly points out “firefighting is no longer an exclusively male occupation.” In July 2025, WCFD successfully ran a two-day “Camp Ignite-Her” training for 14 area girls, ages 14-18.

“It’s a way to include youth, and show them a career path they may not know existed,” said Stanfield. The idea for the camp came from Amanda Staley, WCFD’s only female firefighter.

Because the work requires top physical condition, WCFD maintains a small fitness center at the fire station.

“It’s available 24 hours a day so our staff can use it when it fits their schedule,” Stanfield said.

Perform

Prevention and preparation are clearly valuable, but the final test of a fire department’s effectiveness is performance. In 2025, the department answered 145 total calls, which included everything from vehicle fires, gas leaks and cooking fires, to assisting EMS personnel on rescue missions.

Stansfield believes performance extends beyond preventing, preparing for, and performing fire protection. Firefighters volunteer for the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce, the Webster City Rotary and Hamilton County Fair Board projects. Some are business owners, and two coach sports teams at Webster City High School. In short, they’re engaged in the town they love and serve.

“We take pride in living in, and taking care of Webster City,” Stansfield said, “and we hope our friends and neighbors never need our services. When they do, we go to work to get there quickly and protect as much life and property as possible. We work diligently to provide a strong, professional, prepared response.”