Clinton Fire Protection District Newsletter – July 2026

Welcome Back

Welcome back! Here we are at the end of July already. Crazy, right? It feels like we were just complaining about the snow, and now we're complaining about the heat. Another month down, another month of training, calls, and plenty to talk about.

Heavy Storms Impact Lake Geneva

Early this month, severe storms moved through southern Wisconsin, causing widespread damage and power outages across the Stateline area.

CFPD was requested to assist in Lake Geneva following the storms as crews worked through numerous emergency calls and infrastructure damage. We'd like to extend a sincere thank you to the members of the Lake Geneva Fire Department and all of the mutual aid agencies that responded. Incidents like these remind us just how valuable strong mutual aid partnerships really are.

Beals Featured in Fire Engineering Magazine

Over the last few months, Senior Firefighter Brian Beals has been traveling to Adams County to teach vehicle extrication with the Adams County Fire District.

This year's Ignite 2026 Symposium featured courses covering search and rescue, water mapping, and vehicle extrication. Brian has built a reputation as an outstanding instructor and mentor, not only here at CFPD but throughout the region. Having one of our own recognized for sharing his knowledge at that level is something we're incredibly proud of.

Great job, Bealsy!

Working Fire on Meadow Park Drive

During the evening hours of July 11th, CFPD responded to the 600 block of Meadow Park Drive for a reported structure fire.

First-arriving crews found smoke pushing from the eaves and quickly upgraded the incident to a working fire, bringing in several mutual aid departments.

Thanks to a quick and coordinated response, the fire was contained to a single unit. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

CFPD would like to thank all of our mutual aid partners for their assistance and professionalism during the incident. At the time of this publication, the cause of the fire has not yet been released.

July Training

This month's fire training was held at a recently acquired residential structure. Training in an actual home gives our members the opportunity to work in an environment much closer to what they'll encounter on emergency calls than our burn tower can provide.

Search

Members spent the evening working on realistic search operations inside an unfamiliar structure. Crews practiced searching rooms they had never seen before, navigating different layouts, and improving communication while operating in low-visibility conditions. The goal was simple: build confidence and reinforce the fundamentals that save lives.

Rapid Intervention Team (RIT)

The final fire training of the month focused on the basics of Rapid Intervention Team (RIT), the specialized group responsible for rescuing a downed firefighter.

This was the first session of a three-part training series built around a crawl, walk, run progression. Members established a strong foundation that we'll continue building on over the next several weeks, and we're looking forward to sharing some videos from the training soon.

Also... how are we feeling about West wearing his helmet backwards?

🔥 or 🗑️

The Rambling Raccoon Rescue

IMPORTANT PRESS RELEASE (Not really.)

On July 16th, Clinton Fire Protection District was dispatched to the Clinton Dollar General for... a special duty.

Engine 412 and Ambulance 441 responded after dispatch advised that two raccoons had become trapped inside a dumpster and were unable to escape.

Upon arrival, Engine 412 completed a thorough size-up of the incident and officially established Raccoon Command.

Following a detailed 360-degree assessment, crews located two young raccoons desperately attempting to tunnel their way out through the trash.

After a highly professional game of "nose goes," FF/EMT Nathan DuCharme was unanimously... and completely voluntarily... selected to climb into the dumpster.

Recognizing the complexity of the operation, FF/EMT Brandon West quickly joined the rescue effort.

Using a carefully coordinated combination of cardboard boxes, shovels, and what can only be described as firefighter ingenuity, both raccoons were successfully extricated and released without injury.

Ambulance 441 cleared the scene after confirming both patients refused transport, and Raccoon Command was officially terminated.

To any news stations interested in exclusive interviews regarding the incident, we appreciate your interest but must respectfully decline.

We're just doing our jobs.

Rock County Fair

For the past several years, CFPD has had the privilege of providing fire and EMS coverage at the Rock County Fair.

This year's fair was no exception, and our crews were honored to be recognized during Bella Cain's rendition of God Bless America. We appreciate the opportunity to serve the thousands of visitors who attend the fair each year and enjoy being a part of one of Rock County's biggest summer traditions.

Conclusion

July kept our members busy with everything from severe weather deployments and working fires to hands-on training and, somehow, raccoon rescue operations.

No two months in the fire service ever look the same, and that's part of what makes this job so rewarding. Whether we're responding to emergencies, helping our neighboring departments, training for the next call, or pulling wildlife out of dumpsters, our goal remains the same: serve our community with professionalism, pride, and maybe just a little bit of humor.

Thanks for following along, and we'll see you again next month.