Vorderstrasse named Hastings Fire Chief
Members of the Hastings City Council voted 8-0 during their regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 10 to appoint Troy Vorderstrasse as Chief of Hastings Fire & Rescue.
“I’d like to thank the Mayor and Council for their confidence and support,” Vorderstrasse said during the council meeting. “I appreciate this opportunity. I’m excited to serve the City as the next Fire Chief.”
Vorderstrasse, 55, had been serving as interim chief since being appointed to that role by the Council on Oct. 14, 2024, and acting chief before that, since Aug. 14, 2024. Vorderstrasse had served as assistant chief since being appointed to that role in February 2021. He began serving as a volunteer for the fire department in 1992 before being hired as a full- time firefighter in 1994.
He was promoted to the position of lieutenant in 2003 and then fire prevention officer in 2017. As Vorderstrasse looks to the future, it is a priority for him that HFR firefighters with all levels of experience continue to bolster their training and skills.
This will provide an opportunity for those in leadership positions within the department to help build up younger staff members and prepare them to be the next leaders at Hastings Fire & Rescue.
“Obviously we’re going to do everything we can to maintain fantastic public safety for the community,” he said. Mayor Jay Beckby praised Vorderstrasse, saying Vorderstrasse’s experience and knowledge level within Hastings Fire & Rescue made him the right candidate for the job. Beckby said Vorderstrasse is informed, decisive, and just.
“With his 30 years of experience, Troy knows the heartbeat of this department,” Beckby said. “He is well integrated, respected and has knowledge of what needs to be done and where we need to go.”
Troy and his wife, Lori, have twin adult sons: Chance and Brody.