The Crookston Fire Department recently hired a new full-time firefighter. Garett Bengtson has been a part-time firefighter in Crookston for the past three and a half years but jumped at the opportunity for a full-time role when the position became open. “I’ve been on the part-time side for a little over three years and have enjoyed everything here in Crookston,” said Bengtson. “I decided I wanted to put forth a little more effort into becoming more in-depth with the department.”
Bengtson is originally from Pelican Rapids and traveled around the states growing up as his father was in the Air Force. They were stationed in Grand Forks, and that is where he met his wife Jess, and together the two live in Crookston with three children Jackson, Baily, and Violet.
For Bengtson, he said his calling to be a firefighter came a little later in life. “It was something that came together a little later on in life,” said Bengtson. “A couple of the guys on the department suggested I come in for a part-time position, and it’s been a blast and very rewarding. Since then, I’ve never slowed down and have really gone after it since then.”
While the position can be incredibly dangerous each day, Bengtson says it’s been extremely rewarding. “It has been very rewarding. A lot of us guys text back and forth and stay in touch, so it’s a powerful connection,” said Bengtson. “I consider all of these guys my brothers.”
As Bengtson mentioned, he had a later calling in life to become a firefighter, and it’s a line of work he highly recommends for anyone who has the slightest interest in pursuing it. “It is something I highly recommend,” said Bengtson. “I actually didn’t get on my first time, but the next time I did, and it’s been incredible since then. It was such a short time frame of training and learning all of this information; it was really a blur. It’s also been a ton of fun to interact with the city and participate in all these open houses and parades, so it really has been a blast and is something I would recommend to people. It’s a tough job but a very rewarding line of work.”
A picture of Bengtson can be found down below –
