Two decades of leadership; Tom Wood celebrates 20 years as fire chief

Melanie Wood knew what she was getting into when she married a volunteer firefighter. Her new husband, Tom, along with a good portion of her wedding guests were called away from the reception shortly after the vows were exchanged to fight a blaze.

Now, 45 years later, Tom Wood is celebrating his 20-year anniversary as chief of the Libby Volunteer Fire Department.

Under Wood’s leadership, the Libby Volunteer Fire Department has achieved remarkable success. 

In 2014, Libby’s volunteer fire department was given a three rating by Insurance Services Office Inc., a national organization that rates the effectiveness of fire departments for the purpose of determining insurance rates. Of the 440 Montana departments rated, only seven were rated three. None were rated higher.

Wood credits his firefighters and the community for the success of the department.

“I couldn’t have a better bunch of people to work with,” he said. “It’s just a great group of people and we have great community support.”

Part of the success of the fire department lies in the relationships Wood has built with other agencies, such as the United States Forest Service. Wood’s crews can mobilize and respond faster than the federal agency, so they have a cooperative agreement with the Forest Service to respond to fires that are technically out of their jurisdiction.

“We’ve really appreciated the close working relationship with the Libby Volunteer Fire Department,” said Forest Service Fire Management Officer Dan Rose. “And Tom’s a big part of that. They respond to everything. We can never beat them to a fire. They always get there first. It’s amazing.”

Wood said the relationship with the Forest Service is a good one, playing to the strengths of each department. His teams respond quickly and get the fires under control and the Forest Service crew comes in to finish up and ensure the fire stays out.

“We come into a fire and do what we call ‘surround and drown,’” Wood said. “They come out and mop it up, make sure it’s all taken care of.”

The key to success, in Wood’s mind, is good training and equipment. Wood has sent several members of his department to various fire trainings, from the Montana State Fire School to the National Fire Academy in Maryland. Two firefighters, he said, just returned from a training with Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad about oil carriers and spills from trains.

“We run our department just like we would a paid department,” he said. “The fire doesn’t know or care if we’re volunteers or paid firefighters.”

Despite the inherent risks, in Wood’s 20 years as chief, not a single member of the department has been lost on the job. 

While Wood credits his team and the community for the department’s success, people in the department give credit to Wood for his commitment and dedication.

“Tom Wood is a very fair man and a very good leader,” said Paul Resch, who has served with Wood in the department for almost 15 years. “He keeps it together for us. He’s more dedicated to the fire department than anyone I’ve ever known. He lives, eats and breathes the Libby Volunteer Fire Department.”

Wood said he doesn’t have a choice.

“It’s in my blood,” he said. “My grandma was part of the Catholic church women’s group that started the department.”

It’s not just in Wood’s blood. Being a firefighter, Wood said, is a serious commitment. 

“It’s tough to keep 28 people ready to go,” he said. “We ask a lot of our firefighters.”

Wood said he responds to roughly 250 calls per year. The calls range from minor chimney and brush fires to full-blown “big-city fires,” as he calls them. Two such fires have occurred in Libby during his time, both at the old Stimson Mill property.

For each call, the department musters a minimum of 18 firefighters. The time and dedication of the volunteers, Wood said, is matched only by the support of their families.

“I want to thank all the families for their support,” he said. “You can’t do this without the love and support of your family.”