Chadd retires 40 years to the day he began service

By Sheila Harris [email protected]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, marked 40 years of service for Exeter Fire Protection District Chief Donnie Chadd, who decided that it was a good day to retire. 

A retirement reception was held in his honor Saturday at the Exeter Fire Station, where an overflow crowd of family, friends and fellow fire department personnel congratulated him and wished him well.

Chadd began serving as a volunteer fireman with the Exeter district on Sept. 11, 1986, two weeks after he and his wife, Kim, got married.

Chadd said the department has come a long way since that day, when he joined as a 25-year-old newlywed.

“Back then, members of the rural fire district paid dues, and we operated with only one truck and no equipment,” Chadd said.

In 1986, the department operated from a “small, two-bay station with a half-dirt floor,” according to an Exeter Fire District Facebook post.

According to Chadd, around 2008, he doesn’t remember the exact year, the Exeter Fire Protection District changed from a membership-base to a tax district.

“One year, we got a FEMA grant for an engine,” Chadd said. “And, we borrowed money, bought land and built our current fire station.”

Chadd said, for several years afterward, the fire district hosted an annual fundraiser, a BBQ dinner, in order to make the mortgage payment.

Those days are past. The fire station, now paid for, houses seven engines, with two more ready to go into service, Chadd said.

“We’ll need to expand the building as soon as funds allow,” he said, forgetting for a moment that he’s officially retired.

Chadd said that last year, the Exeter Fire Protection District responded to 382 calls.

“About 85% of our calls are for medical emergencies,” he said. “The fire department gets dispatched before the ambulance, no matter what the situation is.”

The Exeter Fire Protection District works in conjunction with the Cassville and Butterfield districts to provide mutual aid, or “auto aid,” Chadd said. 

“Whenever a call goes out for one of them, we respond, too,” he said.

The Exeter Fire District has a roster of 16 volunteers, most of whom showed up — in uniform — to congratulate Chadd on his retirement.

Fire Chief Ron Brown, of El Dorado Springs, traveled 100 miles south to congratulate his friend on his retirement.

Exeter’s assistant fire chief, David Newman — whose wife Mickie also volunteers for the fire district — said he’s going to miss Chadd.

“We started volunteering for the district at the same time 40 years ago,” he said. “Donnie’s like a brother to me.”

Newman said that being a family-member of a firefighter can be stressful.

“Aside from the safety factor, we’re basically on call around the clock, so that means we’re away from home a lot on the nights and weekends.”

Kim Chadd said she’s proud of her husband for being so dedicated to the town.

“He’s done a wonderful job for our community,” she said. “I’m thankful to the Lord for keeping him safe for all of these years.”

Donnie Chadd said that after his retirement from the fire district, he plans to spend more time with his wife and their five grandkids.

When asked if he had any parting words for the Exeter volunteer firemen and women who will carry on without him, Chadd said, “I will continue to pray for their safety, every day.”