Lonsdale gains new fire department leadership
Outgoing Lonsdale Fire Department Chief Mike Yetzer (right) is joined with newly appointed assistant fire chief Shannon Morsching (left) and Dave Pfluke as chief. Pfluke is currently assistant fire chief. Morsching and Pfluke will begin their new positions January 1. (Andrea Nelson Photo)
Leadership changes are about to take place on the Lonsdale Fire Department.
Effective January 1, 2019, the city will have a new fire chief and assistant fire chief.
Lonsdale’s current fire chief, Mike Yetzer, has served three terms as fire chief, which is the maximum allowed per the department’s policy. Though he will no longer be fire chief, Yetzer will continue to serve on the department.
“We have a top shelf chief,” said Mayor Tim Rud of Yetzer.
The process of selecting the next fire chief began in October, according to Lonsdale City Administrator Joel Erickson. He said the policy states that to be fire chief the applicant must have served a minimum of eight years on the department and completed six ICS courses.
Erickson said the only applicant for the position was Dave Pfluke, the department’s assistant fire chief.
After being interviewed by the city’s human resources committee and three members of the department, Pfluke was recommended for the position. The Lonsdale City Council voted 4-0 to approve his promotion at the November 15 council meeting. Councilmember Steve Cherney was absent.
“It’ll be a good transition from Chief Yetzer to Chief Pfluke,” Rud said, adding that Pfluke intends to carry out the vision that Yetzer has had for the department.
In addition to serving as assistant fire chief Pfluke has served as a captain on the department. He has been a Lonsdale firefighter since October 2001.
As fire chief Pfluke would like to continue updating equipment, training and department policies.
With the promotion of Pfluke to chief, a vacancy was created for the position of assistant fire chief. To qualify for the position the applicant must have served a minimum of five years on the department and completed six ICS courses.
Erickson said that the department had two applicants for the position. After interviews the committee recommended Shannon Morsching.
“Both (candidates) brought good qualities to the table,” Erickson said of the interviewees.
Rud disagreed that the candidates were good, rather that they were “excellent candidates.”
Morsching has been a Lonsdale firefighter since 2007. He has also served as......
To see more on this story pick up the November 29, 2018 print edition of The New Prague Times or the Montgomery Messenger.
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