Dustin Dicks has begun his second two-year term as Powell’s fire chief after being elected to once again lead the Powell Volunteer Fire Department.

Jason Fields was elected assistant chief, Pete DiPilla is captain, Chris Schuler is first lieutenant and Travis Moger is second lieutenant. The chief position is a two-year term. Assistant chief, captain and first and second lieutenants serve one-year terms.

The department currently has 30 volunteers, two short of their maximum of 32, said Dicks in a Tuesday interview. It also has at least 10 reserves; retirees from the department who are willing to respond to emergencies when needed.

“Reserves usually are needed about three to four times a year, especially during brush fire season,” he said.

The department sent 15 firefighters for training at the State Fire Marshall Fire Academy in Riverton earlier this month. During the trip a small fire broke out at 468 Hamilton Way, requiring help on the scene by four reserves.

Firefighters and reserves are paid $9 per call regardless how long the emergency lasts. The allotment is largely to reimburse the volunteers for expenses. The real pay-off for their time on the force is a small state-paid pension for those with 20 years or more of service. But Dicks said while the small stipends come in handy, the real reason volunteers join the force has nothing to do with cash.

“They serve out of a sense of duty and commitment to our community,” he said.

Dicks has been on the force for 23 years. His brother and former chief, Damian, also volunteers and has been with the department for 20 years.

“It just felt like it was my time to give back and help keep the momentum of the department going in the right direction,” Dicks said when he was first elected in 2020.

The department has one full-time paid employee. Kenny Skalsky was a Powell fireman from 1986 to 2003 and is currently the Park County Fire Protection District’s administrator. He plans to retire in May after serving as administrator for the past decade.

The department’s board is led by five Powell Fire District directors, including Jerry Faxon (uncle to Dustin and Damian Dicks), Roger Easum, Bear May, Scott Heny and Heath Worstell. The board meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month at the fire station, 1101 E. South St.