Priorities include five-year strategic plan, constructing third fire station in Spanish Peaks, improving home insurability
By Jack Reaney ASSOCIATE EDITOR
On Wednesday, the Big Sky Fire Department promoted two of its own, swearing in Dustin Tetrault as fire chief and David Parker as captain paramedic and training officer.
The ceremony was short and sweet—it became savory when firemen carried in boxes of Blue Moon Bakery pizza—and officials celebrated their confidence in the future of BSFD.
After retiring in May, former Chief Greg Megaard believes the department is in good hands thanks to Tetrault’s leadership ability and background.
“He hit the ground running the day he was offered the position,” Megaard told EBS after the ceremony. Departments must sometimes make an outside hire that would involve gradual onboarding, learning the nuances of the district and its service area.
“We don’t have that here,” Megaard said. “He stepped right into the role. And you always hope it will be better than when you found it… He’s got all the skill sets, all the confidence, and I believe all the support. I think the future is bright for Big Sky Fire.”
Chief Tetrault has served with BSFD for almost six years and brings two decades of experience in fire service. He recalls handling COVID restrictions and helping the county with the COVID response alongside Chief Megaard. The pair were sometimes the only two in the front office during the pandemic—one of the “wildest experiences” they’ve ever faced in their careers as first responders, Tetrault said.
Megaard said Big Sky’s growth and development will continue to be a challenge. Call volume has doubled since Tetrault started six years ago—from roughly 700 to more than 1,400 calls per year.
“The amount of people coming into this community is staggering,” Megaard said. “And all those people coming in to recreate, to live, whatever it is—that’s a demand on services for law enforcement and fire.”
One of Tetrault’s priorities will be the implementation of a five-year strategic plan. He’s hoping to collect as much feedback as possible through an online survey to make sure the department continues to grow sustainably in alignment with community demands, as it has in response to Big Sky’s booming population.
“We’ve really just changed to meet the demands of the community, and we take a lot of pride in that,” Tetrault said.
The new fire chief’s other priorities are to oversee the construction of a third fire station in the Spanish Peaks Mountain Club area, and to improve insurability for Big Sky homes.
The Big Sky Fire Department has been planning the Big Sky Fire Station No. 3 in Spanish Peaks since 2016. It’s a collaboration between BSFD, Lone Mountain Land Company and the property owners in the area of the Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, who will fund the station through a rural improvement district, or RID.
Tetrault said using an RID to construct a fire station is unprecedented in Montana.
“A lot of other fire departments in the state are looking at that as a potential model to build fire stations,” he said.
On insurance, Tetrault said the department is close to earning a higher-level fire protection class rating. Currently, much of the area is rated “ISO 4,” and a better rating would reduce insurance premiums and improve insurability for Big Sky homes.
“We’ve already made moves—with our reserve ladder truck, and with this extra station, extra staffing—to really try to get to that ISO protection 3 rating,” Tetrault said.
Alan McClain, board chair of the Big Sky Fire District, said Tetrault brings experience, technical skills and great rapport with firefighters.
“He has a real knack for technology and the contemporary world that we live in,” McClain said. Tetrault continues to engage with the community through programs like Alpenscapes and the Fire Adapted Big Sky Wildfire Hub, and by often setting up a booth at the Big Sky Farmers Market.
As budget becomes a larger issue with the growth of the district—40 full-time staff with another three or four hires planned every year—McClain said Tetrault is fiscally minded.
“Having a person with a good mind for the budget is a big deal for the department and our community,” McClain said.
Megaard said the department will continue working toward accreditation, a process of turning the department “inside out” to find areas for improvement.
“That was part of my retirement decision was the great hands that this department is going to be in, with Chief Tetrault, Chief Barker, and the rest of the team here,” Megaard said.
David Parker promoted
David Parker has been involved with the Big Sky Fire Department for seven years. He previously served as a firefighter paramedic, and on Wednesday was promoted to captain paramedic and training officer.
“This promotion is probably my biggest accomplishment,” Parker told EBS. However, as a firefighter he worked to develop certain programs including rope rescue.
“We didn’t have a real capability to remove victims from below grade on hills and slopes and stuff like that. We relied on search and rescue,” Parker said. “And I was able to use my experience from another department and system, to bring that here.”
With his new role, he will oversee training department-wide. It’s a full-year training schedule including exercises for structural firefighting, wildland firefighting, EMS, driving and pumping fire engines, and various technical rescues.
“This fire community has really impressed me with their growth, and the way they’ve maintained quality leadership through that growth,” Parker said. “Every single officer, and every single firefighter has been super supportive and instrumental in getting me here. I absolutely couldn’t have done it without the current leaders and firefighter line guys.”
