After 21 years as chief, Weltikol will pass the baton to Darrin Mineke, who also has been with the department for more than 30 years, on Jan. 5. Friends gathered to celebrate Weltikol’s service and mark his retirement Friday, Dec. 19, at the station.

“I started as a volunteer. Once I became chief, that was a paid position. I was the first ever paid, full-time firefighter,” Weltikol said.

The department now has four paid staff and about 25 volunteer firefighters. The department’s facilities in south Minot also have grown, expanding to add a building next door. The department acquired a portable classroom and converted it for use at its training grounds and also now has a building to house trucks in north Minot for quicker response in that area.

Weltikol said his involvement began after he heard a radio advertisement for people interested in training as emergency medical technicians (EMTs). He signed up for the class, where he met two volunteer firefighters from Minot Rural who encouraged him to join the department because he worked nearby at Praxair.

Jill Schramm/MDN Darrin Mineke, left, incoming fire chief at Minot Rural Fire Department, and Rex Weltikol, outgoing chief, stand next to one of the department’s fire trucks Friday, Dec. 19.

“It’s a great job,” Weltikol said. “Community service – that’s the huge thing. These guys do this for free – the volunteers do – and I did that for a lot of years.”

Among the changes over the years has been the acquisition of modern, new firetrucks.

“Some of our trucks were yellow. They’re all red now – like they should be, in my eyes,” he said with a smile. “When I first started here, we were lucky to break 100 calls a year, and just yesterday, we did call number 477 for the year.”

Some of that growth is the entry of firefighters into medical response, accompanying ambulances to provide assistance.

“It helps improve their service, because sometimes they can’t even get there right away. So, we’re there to comfort the patient. A lot of our guys are EMRs (emergency medical responders) and then we also have some EMTs and one paramedic,” Weltikol said.

Weltikol recalls responding to a major fire at a recycling business in west Minot in May 2017. In January 2002, Minot Rural was among responders to a train derailment outside of Minot in Tierrecita Vallejo that released anhydrous ammonia, killing one and injuring many others.

Retirement leaves Weltikol with mixed emotions

“It’s sad, but I just think it’s time for some new blood,” he said.

Mineke said he’s been working with Weltikol for the past couple of years to learn the administrative role, the budgeting and personnel tracking. However, his promotion to chief wasn’t automatic. The department went through an interview process to select Mineke.

Mineke was a volunteer firefighter with Minot Rural for about 25 years, providing community service while working in the plumbing and heating industry. He has held a paid staff position with the department for six years.

Mineke said he actually started as a firefighter at age 16 in his hometown department in Carpio. He joined Minot Rural in 1989 but took a break for four years before returning in 1997.

He said he still is getting his feet on the ground when it comes to learning the new position. But his goal is to pick up where Weltikol leaves off.

“And continue his legacy,” Mineke said. “He’s taught me a lot along the way.”