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Written by Meg Herndon

In just two decades, Chaed Agee has seen the monumental shift in the city of Helena. A paramedic of 32 years, Chaed began volunteering at the Helena Fire Department in 1997 and became an employee in 1999.

The pull to Helena, like many will tell you, was the people.

“Being a paramedic in a private ambulance, you’re covering a large area,” Chaed said. “You’re not really connected to some areas you’re working. Here in Helena, it’s my town, it’s my people. You make connections with the people. You see some of the patients over and over, you see the people that your kids play ball with or go to school with. You’re truly serving the community.”

While going through records earlier in the year, Chaed found a report saying the Helena Fire Department made 220 calls in 2000. In 2022 the department made close to 2,000. With the influx of residents and calls, the HFD has gone from having a total of three people working at two stations to more than 30 on staff.

Chaed’s favorite part of his job is what is at the core of being a member of the HFD, helping people in a time of need.

“I feel like this is one of the few things that is still truly a service,” he said. “We come out and provide a service in people’s time of need. No questions asked. No strings attached. You know, you call us and we show up and we take care of what a lot of times is somebody’s worst day ever. We come in and try and do everything we can to mitigate the problem and make the day better in whatever way we can. So that’s what I like about about the fire service.”