Perham Fire Department has a new chief – Perham Focus

PERHAM — Matt Johnson was born and raised in Perham. He is proud to be a part of the community and to have raised his three children here, but he is also proud to serve his community as a long-time member of the fire department.

Johnson officially became the new chief of the Perham Fire Department on Sunday, June 16. He succeeded Mark Schmidt, who joined the department in 2002 and has been its chief for 15 years.

“Mark is very dedicated to the fire service,” Johnson said. “It’s incredible the amount of hours he puts in to help keep the department up to the highest standards. He’s put in a lot of time over his years, that’s for sure.”

Schmidt is still a member of the department since stepping down as chief, but he plans to fully retire in the near future.

“Mark and I have talked frequently and, if I have questions about things, he continues to be a good support system for me on different things that come up,” Johnson continued. “He will retire completely this year but he will stay for a little while, which is good because that way I still have him there.”

Johnson joined the department in 2007 and became a captain around 2016 before becoming deputy chief about a year and a half ago. He hadn't been a firefighter before joining the department, but he knew people in the department. He said those personal relationships, along with his desire to serve his community, led him to join the department.

“I’m originally from Perham, but I worked in Willmar for about seven and a half years,” Johnson said. “We came home in 2005. In 2007, I saw they were looking for firefighters and I knew the chief at the time, so I contacted Tracy Schmidt and picked her brain a little bit. I used to work with him during my summer job. So I've known him for several years.

Johnson is the first person in his family to become a firefighter, although his father was mayor of Perham for a time and a city council member before that. His father and brother also hand-made the fire department sign that hangs inside the department. The board is made of wood and honors all active and retired firefighters who have served. Johnson credits his father with instilling in him a sense of responsibility to serve his community.

“I’m the first in our family to become a firefighter,” Johnson continued. “So I don’t know what made me do that. I guess it's one of those things, I just wanted to find a way to give back to the community and I fell into this. My father believed strongly in serving his community.

According to Johnson, not only did his upbringing call him to serve his community, but so did his love for the community. After so many years in the ministry, he continues to serve and enjoy his service because of the people around him.

“I have a great love for this community,” Johnson said. “I was born and raised here, so to be able to serve this area is definitely the greatest honor. Plus, working with the group of people that we have, you know, you get that camaraderie. It's quite impressive. I've definitely made friendships within the department that I wouldn't have if I hadn't gotten there.

Johnson added that he was both excited and a little nervous about his new role.

“It’s a big step and a big responsibility,” Johnson continued. “But we have a really good group of members here. We’re pretty fortunate. We have a lot of support within our membership, which is going to be important. Because when you have someone who’s been a leader for 15 years and has taken charge of everything, it’s going to take the whole group to take that next step.”

Johnson also said that despite an excellent team of 31 members at present, a handful of members are planning to retire in the next two years. So, to ensure the department continues to have sufficient staffing, Johnson is currently looking to recruit new firefighters.

“We want to make sure we’re ready for the next step,” Johnson said. “We’re trying to be proactive and get people involved, which is why we’re looking for more firefighters.”

The fire department provides all necessary training to new employees free of charge. The Perham Fire Department is a paid on-call service, so members receive some compensation for their service. But Johnson said that's not why he or anyone else does this work.

“You do it for love,” Johnson said. “You do it because of your passion.”

Anyone interested in joining the fire department can pick up an application at Perham City Hall. Applications are also available on the city's website at ci.perham.mn.us. Simply click on the “Jobs” tab at the bottom of the home page.

Williams has worked as a reporter for the Perham Focus since April 2024. He also worked at a newspaper in New Baltimore, Michigan after graduating from Michigan State University in 2019.