Hometown first responders 20 Hanska Fire Department is heart of community

More than just fighting fires

HANSKA -- In the community of Hanska, serving on the local fire department is a highly regarded position.

Hanska Fire Chief Mikale Gustafson said when he joined the fire department back in 2011.

"My dad and uncles had served on the fire department too," Gustafson said. "I figured it was my duty."

In 2020, he became Chief of the Fire Department.

Gustafson said joining the department was an eye-opening experience to see how many people in his town looked up to him.

"Whether a person has been with the department six months or 12 years, the community has a lot of respect for you," he said.

That is because in Hanska, the fire department are the only first-responders. With a population under 400, Hanska does not have a police department or an ambulance. In an emergency, the Hanska firefighters are going to be the first people on the scene. Any type of call an ambulance takes, the fire department will respond to.

Their coverage area includes the town of Hanska, and the townships of Lake Hanska, Linden and Albin.

"We often arrive before the ambulance, which usually comes from New Ulm," Gustafson said. "That first 15 minutes of an emergency is critical. That's why it is important we be there."

For this reason, most of the calls Hanska Fire Department goes out on are not fire related.

"People are looking to the fire department for a lot more than fires," Gustafson said.

Car accidents are some of the most common calls but they also respond to many farming accidents. Grain bin rescues are always a concern.

The department also responds to water rescues. Even in the winter, the fire department has been called out for ice breakthroughs, which can be difficult. In the summer, months they use a boat for lake rescues.

Gustafson estimated they responded to an emergency call at least once a week with roughly 50 emergency calls a year.

The Hanska Fire Department is not quite as old as Hanska itself. It was founded roughly 100 years ago and is strictly volunteer. Due to the community's size, it is difficult for the town of Hanska to fund the fire department. For this reason, the fire department holds multiple fundraisers throughout the year to cover the cost of new equipment. That includes The Pork Chop Supper in September, the Ice Fishing Contest in late January and the Breakfast Feed in March.

Gustafson said the price of fire equipment is high and recently costs have spiked.

He said it costs around $15,000 to dress a firefighter. A fire truck costs around $1 million.

Hanska's current vehicle fleet includes six trucks, two engines, two tankers and two grass rigs.

The Hanska Fire Department usually has between 21-25 firefighters volunteer members. Considering the population of Hanska is under 400, that means 5% of the community serves on the department.

Members of Hanska Fire Department are required to take part in two training sessions a month, but Gustafson said anyone who is willing to help the community could be a good candidate for the department.

He said the greatest challenge of being a firefighter is staying calm on a call.

"You need to be the calm one when you're out there," Gustafson said. "The work environment is never the same as before. It is very unpredictable."

Another downside of working in a small community, when called to an accident scene there is a high probability one or all of the firefighters will know the person in need of help.

The best part of being on the department is the connection formed with the other firefighters.

Gustafson said the service gets into their blood.

"Once you join, you're part of a brotherhood," he said.

Recently, the Hanska Fire Department lost one of its brothers, Justin Reinarts, who was murdered in his home last November, only a few blocks from the Hanska Fire Station.

In the fire department there is always a possibility of losing a firefighter, but Gustafson said this was not something any of them were prepared for.

Gustafson said Reinarts was always one of the firefighters who was first to respond and run into danger. His loss was devastating to everyone in the department and beyond.

Reinart's funeral was attended by firefighters from different departments from all over southern Minnesota. Many of the fellow fire departments returned to Hanska during the community's 125th anniversary celebration to be part of the parade and honor Reinarts one more time.

Gustafson said the brotherhood of fire service goes beyond a single community or department.