VIDEO: The Shelby Fire Department is working to build its first monument honoring retired firefighters from across Montana, with construction expected to be completed in June 2027. “I understand what has happened before me, and I know we are in a place where we are today because of those guys that came before us. So for us to be able to honor them, it’s just it’s truly our pleasure to do that,” said Shelby Fire Chief Ronald Buck.
The plan for the monument goes back 10 years, according to Buck. This year, through the department’s annual gun raffle, the fire department has raised the money to begin building.
“We’ve already laid the foundation. We have the concrete pad out there, we have the flagpoles up, we have the lighting in place, but we don’t have the wall. And so this year, I’m hoping around April they’ll start building that wall. It’ll be completed,” Buck said. There will be 36 names on the monument from Shelby according to Buck: “I probably served with 15 of those guys, and it’s an honor. Like, I don’t know what else I could say.”
