City of Polson Fire Department Captain Pete Bishop marked 40 years of service with the department this week, a milestone rarely achieved in the fire department. Bishop’s first day in the service was on May 11, 1982. He served under six fire chiefs and held the ranks of firefighter, lieutenant, captain and deputy chief.
Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Straub said volunteers typically serve between five and 10 years, with few hitting the 20-year mark.
“Over the course of a volunteer’s career, they usually start off strong and then fade over time,” Straub said. “Their energy and drive for the tough tasks of firefighting slows down, and they take on tasks like driving, operating the pump, and less rigorous work. Captain Bishop acts like he’s still a young firefighter in this department. He always does the toughest job at a fire scene (I promise it will be done smarter and easier by him). Also, as we get older, it seems like it’s harder to stay progressive in the fire department, but with Pete, that’s not the case. He loves learning new ways of doing things and he loves passing that knowledge on to new firefighters.
Straub said Bishop is heavily involved in training new members, and each year he is among the top responders for service calls and is usually one of the first to arrive at the station when a call is made.
“Volunteering is down in the fire service, but we have a great man who has dedicated nearly two-thirds of his life to helping our wonderful community,” Straub said. “You may think this is an announcement for his retirement, but it is not. I believe Pete has many more years with this department, and I just want to thank you for your dedication and service. to our city.
Bishop is married and has a beautiful granddaughter and several stepchildren and grandchildren. He is co-owner and operator of Bishop Insurance.
