Longtime Mitchell firefighter Dan Pollreisz picked to become Mitchell's new fire chief

MITCHELL — A longtime captain of the Mitchell Fire Division will become the city’s new fire chief on Monday, if the city council approves the hire.

After spending the past two decades as a firefighter, Dan Pollreisz earned the nod this week to lead the Mitchell Fire Division and take on a new leadership role in his public safety career.

As one of the city leaders tasked with conducting interviews, Mitchell Mayor Bob Everson said the decision wasn’t easy with the caliber of the three candidates who interviewed for the position. It was Pollreisz’s qualifications and experience that stood out to Everson.

“Dan has all the tools to be a great fire chief. He’s been with the department for a long time,” Everson said of Pollreisz. “We’re thankful he accepted the offer.”

According to Everson, the trio of candidates who were being considered for the fire chief role were all internal applicants who work for the city.

“All three of them were great and qualified for the job,” Everson said of the trio of candidates who interviewed for the job over the past week.

Mitchell City Council President Kevin McCardle was another city leader who sat in on interviews and had a hand in the hiring process. While McCardle said it was a “tough decision,” he pointed to Pollreisz’s experience and leadership qualities as a few attributes that shined.

The position became vacant in early March after former Mitchell Fire Chief Marius Laursen stepped down from the role. In his parting words, Laursen said he was confident that he left the division in “good hands.”

On Monday, one of those hands could become the new leader of the fire division.

If the council approves the hire, Pollreisz will be sworn in as Mitchell’s fire chief during Monday’s Mitchell City Council meeting.