Storm Lake, Iowa — A year of transition and heavy volume for the Storm Lake Fire Department ends with perfect marks in safety compliance.
The Storm Lake Fire Department released its 2025 annual report, showing crews responded to 440 calls for service. April was the standout month, spiking to 168 responses alone.
There is a new name at the top of the roster, as well. Chief Terence Sinner has taken the helm following the departure of Chief Schlesser. Despite the leadership change and three firefighter retirements, the crew clocked nearly 1,800 hours of training—covering everything from ice rescues to CPR.
On the prevention front, inspectors found 51 fire code violations in the city, and property owners fixed every single one of them—hitting a 100-percent compliance rate.
Between emergency calls and teaching 1,500 local kids about fire safety, the mix of full-time and on-call staff stayed busy covering 93 square miles of Storm Lake and the surrounding townships in 2025.
