Dover fire chief marks 40 years of service

Fire Chief Russ Volkert recently marked 40 years with the Dover Fire Department. Firefighting is a career he became interested in having grown up in a neighborhood with a volunteer fire department.

"When I was a little kid, I lived close to the local volunteer fire department, and a couple of neighbors were members,” Volkert said. “I always felt when I got to be an adult, I would join to help out, and I did, and I really enjoyed it. After a little while, it became apparent that it was what I wanted to do for a living."

One experience got him hooked on the career.

“The first thing that made an enormous impression on me was when I was on a volunteer department and had finished my basic EMT training less than two months before and delivered a baby,” Volkert said.

It was the second child for the mother. And afterwards, she told Volkert what a good job he had done.

“She asked how many babies have you delivered? I said, counting this one? One,” Volkert said.

Volkert enjoys the valuable work of being in the fire department.

“What touches me most is when you know you've really made a difference in somebody's life and helped them. To help somebody when they're literally having the worst day of their life,” Volkert said. “That’s, in the long run, is by far the most important thing.”

Volkert, who began with the department in 1986 and was promoted to fire chief in 1997, is only the seventh fire chief in the history of the Dover Fire Department, and he is the longest serving chief.

He seen many changes over the years with the equipment, training and the mission in general. Volkert’s first year with the DFD, they received 753 calls. The department now receives more than 2,500 calls per year.

One change Volkert oversaw was the addition of a second fire station in 2019, in the north end of Dover. The department added six members a couple of years before that to have sufficient staff to respond to emergencies that occur within seconds or minutes of one another. Volkert noted that 80% of calls are EMS calls.

“The vast majority of times, you can respond to a second emergency that occurs without delay,” Volkert said.

With Dover growing, more calls happen in the north end.

 “Our average response time in the city is slightly over three minutes,” Volkert said. “If we were running out of downtown into the north end, those averages would be significantly higher.”

Over the years, Volkert has seen services added to the fire department including that all firefighters and officers in the department are paramedics adding to advances in the services they provide.

“We do a number of different specialty rescue type of things,” Volkert said. “We've always had a boat, and we've gotten a lot more involved in various water rescue techniques. And we, along with New Philadelphia, have a dive team between the two departments.”

Other services provided include rope rescue, confined space rescue, trench rescue and Hazmat.

“We're always seeking to expand our mission where we see there's a need and where we can add things to better protect the citizens, not only in Dover, but the area in general,” Volkert said.

He adds that his job as chief deals with the boring side of things at the fire department like budgeting, paying bills, developing rules, regulations, procedures, and planning for the purchases of equipment, large and small. He still enjoys dealing with people if he winds up at an emergency, but that is a small part of the job.

The opportunity to help others is what keeps Volkert and many firefighters working.

“When you really distill a fireman's job down to its simplest terms, if something bad happens, a fireman shows up to try and make it better. And it's just as simple as that,” Volkert said. “I love the job and in particular doing it here in Dover. We have really serious, committed people who come to work every day and do a good job and help take care of people.”

Volkert’s motto for success came from a fortune cookie at the former Lam’s restaurant.

“The secret to success is constancy to purpose” is a quote by Benjamin Disraeli that now hangs on a plaque in Volkert’s office.

“If something isn't working or doesn't seem like it, just stay focused, and you gain more by constant, steady pressure than by huge bursts,” Volkert said. “There are times, obviously, when it matters if you put a great deal of effort into something, but generally just be consistent.”

Retirement is on his mind. Volkert currently plans to retire in 2029 to spend more time with family and travel among other interests. In the meantime, he looks forward to continue to help the community in any way he can.