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9/11/2001 red, white & blue ribbon
we remember red, white & blue ribbon

Welcome to the
Custer Country Rural Volunteer Fire Company
Home Page
We are a volunteer 501(c)3 not-for-profit fire company of "Neighbors Helping Neighbors since 1951" serving property owners to a radius of 25 miles outside the city limits of Miles City, Montana with an operating budget of $40,000. The Custer County Rural Volunteer Fire Company (CCRVFC) traces its roots in the Miles City area back to 1951 with the formation of the Rural Fire Association (RFA), after a series of fires struck the outskirts of town not protected by the city department and arrangements could not be made with existing local departments.
The original board members that founded the RFA (officially called the "Rural Fire Association of Miles City" at the time) did this to be "Neighbors Helping Neighbors". Those people were Bob Lynam as Chairman, Gwen Wallace, W. F. Bickle, John R. Anderson, Charles Bundy, Mrs. Ed Siewert and John Pauley. These board members were also our first fire fighters as well. By the end of 1951 the RFA served the area with 19 firefighters, with Charles Jesse, Sr., as chief, utilizing 1 truck. A 1 stall building was built in 1952 to house the fire truck on land (then outside the city limits) donated by Custer Post No. 5 of the American Legion. This building, with later expansions, is the same (now three stall) building we use today. Over the ensuing years we have had many joys, challenges, and tragedies effect our volunteers and members. We have seen many new technologies evolve and change the way we fight fire and promote fire safety and knowledge. We have also seen many people and families (Two of which, we are proud to say, are in their third generation of involvement.) with many different abilities and many different ages involved with the RFA and CCRFVC.
We currently have 9 board members and our Secretary and Treasurer: President Mike Toennis, Vice President Ed Heinle, Secretary Douglas Ochsner, Treasurer Valerie Gabel, and Directors Lee Akers (who also serves as our chaplain), Tim Hatcher, Jay Ochsner and Mary Stabler covering a service area of over 1900 square miles utilizing 15 active and 7 reserve firefighters based in two stations: We also maintain a fleet of six fire trucks and one command vehicle consisting of:

These six fire trucks and one command vehicle give us one of the largest mobile water supplies in the state of Montana.

We can be reached in one of two ways:


This page also has links to: Lee Akers' chaplain's page; the most recent issue of our newsletter, "The Fireside Chat" which is also edited by our webmaster; both view and sign our guest book; and to the US Forest Service's Current Wildfire and Fire Danger Listings Page.
Also on this page is a link to our fire links page with many different fire-related sites. There are three that we wish to highlight here. The first is a link to a very good NFPA web page on the history of Fire Prevention Week. The second is a link to a rescue worker memorial page that is also edited by our webmaster. The last link is to a page from the City of Mason (OH) Fire Department Web Pages showing the origin of the Maltese Cross.
What started out with those 7 people 57 years ago has evolved into the Custer County Rural Volunteer Fire Company and we, as its current caretakers, hope to help it last for at least another 57 and continue to be a company of "Neighbors Helping Neighbors."
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We recently signed an agreement with the county that provided for county-wide structural, and limited wildland fire coverage as of January 1, 2008. This excludes Miles City and the Ismay Fire District. As a result of this agreement, we no longer are collecting subscription fees. This agreement is something we have been working  toward for a long time. This is what we hope is the beginning of a long relationship with Custer County. As a reminder, any donation you wish to make to the CCRVFC is tax-deductible as we are a 501(c)3 originization. These donations will help us to continue to be "Neighbors helping Neighbors since 1951."
As a result of this agreement, we have had some confusion and misunderstandings. The following hopefully will settle a lot of questions:
Since January of this year, due to a few changes in the way fire protection is provided, many residents are confused as to what is going on. Thus, we will try to shed some light on the subject.
First, this has not changed the structure of the CCRVFC. We are not a county government organization. We still provide structural fire protection. However, we now cover all of Custer County (other than the city of Miles City and the Ismay Fire District) under a contract for services with Custer County. We still have a mutual aid agreement with the Ismay Fire District and a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Miles City (to provide assistance upon request in a life-threatening situation).
What has changed is that we provide vehicle fire protection on all county roads, state highways, and the interstate outside the city of Miles City. We perform hazardous materials response in the same area. We also provide limited wildland fire response with manpower and equipment upon request from the county. The contract is in effect from Jan 1, 2008 to Dec 31, 2008. The cost of the fire protection contract is up to $70,000. As always, we will do our best to not spend the total amount. Our goal is be at or below $50,000.
Second is the structure of wildland fire for Custer County: The County Commissioners formally established the Custer County Fire Department in January of this year. The department is charged with providing wildland fire protection for Custer County (with exclusions as mentioned earlier) and is staffed with one paid position and all the rest are volunteer and has 3 engines and 2 tenders.
All county co-op engines are out (local ranchers have them). We have built two additional units (new skid units installed) and one of these has been placed at Moon Creek and we are in the process of getting the second unit out. We are still waiting on parts and equipment for the second unit.
Several of our volunteers have previous wildland training from other departments & organizations and have signed up to be on the county department. We have also had training with the DNRC which continues on an ongoing basis. As a neighbor should, we are doing what we can to help our neighbors in any way possible.
The numbers of volunteers continues to increase along with the number of ranchers and farmers who are operating the county co-operator engines. It goes to show that all of neighbors working together can make a difference and better our community.

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We recently were awarded a grant from FEMA through the United State Fire Administration  for approximately $89,000 that we will use to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE). We are thankful that FEMA has seen fit to award our department another grant to help us improve our equipment.

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May we never forget those who fell as a result of 9/11.
CCRVFC Hall picture courtesy of Steve Allison of the Miles City Star.

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Original Board Members picture
(photo originally published in  Miles City Star, our town newspaper, on January 31, 1971,
commemorating the RFA's twentieth anniversary. This image was obtained with the gracious help
of the librarians at the Miles City Public Library, our town library and a Carnegie library.)

This over 57 year old picture is a picture of our founding board members (and first firefighters) and the first truck purchased for the then "Rural Fire Association of Miles City." While the quality may not be the greatest, this shows what the-now CCRVFC started with and has grown to become.


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Fire Fighter's Prayer

When I am called to duty, God wherever flames may rage,
give me strength to save a life, whatever be its age. 

Help me to embrace a little child before it's too late, 
or save an older person from the horror of that fate. 

Enable me to be alert to hear the weakest shout, 
and quickly and efficiently to put the fire out. 

I want to fill my calling and to give the best in me, 
to guard my neighbor and protect his property.

And if according to your will I have to lose my life, 
bless with your protecting hand my loving family from strife. 

Miles City Weather Forecast, MT (59301)

9/11/2001 red, white & blue ribbon
CCRVFC logo
we remember red, white & blue ribbon

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Last edited on 07/23/08
by Douglas J. Ochsner, Webmaster
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