Just one week into his new job as Whitefish’s Deputy Fire Chief, Will Pederson found himself commanding a two-alarm structure fire on the north side of the viaduct.  

The fire at the former O’Piccolo Pizza building was fought by the Whitefish Fire Department, engines from the Kalispell Fire Department, the Columbia Falls Fire Department and Evergreen Fire Rescue. A Big Mountain Fire ambulance also responded. 

It was not the kind of gradual onboarding many might prefer, but Pederson, a 35-year veteran of the fire service, was up for the challenge. The big blaze was where Pederson met some of the firefighters and police officers for the first time. 

“That was my first major incident that I was the commander at and I hadn't met everybody by then. I only been in the position for one week and it was definitely surreal,” he said. “The incident went well. All the firefighters work really well together, including the ones that came from outside of Whitefish." 

Pederson started volunteering at his hometown fire department in Albany, Wisconsin, when he was just 17 years old. Later, he worked for the Fitchburg Fire Department before being hired by the city of Rockford, Illinois, where he rose through the ranks to District Chief, and after 28 years with the department, retired in 2024. 

“I took a year off to kind of just do my own thing and I started a business called Original Firefighter,” he said. “But as I was kind of going through my semi-retirement and doing my own entrepreneur business, I had an opportunity to look at Whitefish because there had been a position open.” 

Pederson met Whitefish Fire Chief Cole Hadley at the National Fire Academy when the two were in the same class a couple years ago. They became friends and stayed in touch. When Pederson saw the job opening in Whitefish, he investigated the possibility. 

“I had never been to Montana," he said. "I thought about it and then I definitely took my time to make sure that it was something that I really wanted to step back into the fire service after having already retired. 

“What would that look like -- to go from a place that I lived for 28 years prior, to transplanting myself into, not just another state, but another community in a whole different region of the country?” Pederson pondered.  

While visiting in March 2025, Pederson met some people and explored Whitefish and the surrounding area. Being 60 miles from the Canadian border made him feel like he was “out there.”  

"I just like kept thinking, ‘Man, I really need to do this,” he said. “This is pretty cool.” 

He said commanding the O’Piccolo fire was like getting back on the horse. His years of experience as a fire chief, along with the high-quality firefighters on the call, resulted in a successful outcome. 

"I didn't really know all the individual firefighters themselves and what their capabilities and what their abilities were, but it was amazing,” he said. “I was very impressed by how hard-working and dialed in that the Whitefish firefighters were on that incident, and then all the incidents that I've already had now with them for the last six months.” 

The Rockford Fire Department is 300 employees strong, and the city covers 69 square miles. The Whitefish Fire Department has a team of 20, and the Whitefish Fire Service Area covers about 86 square miles. 

“The mission is always the same and it's just the challenges are quite different and obviously one of the largest challenges is that ... the city of Whitefish and the Whitefish Fire Department ... need to bolster their staffing levels because we're more busy than what I was even expecting.” 

He said in Rockford, firehouses are located a few miles from each other and when firefighters go out on a call for anything other than a structure fire, they can return quickly and be ready for the next call. 

One of the challenges Pederson sees in Whitefish is the vastness of the Fire Service Area. Sometimes calls require 20 minutes of travel time, one way.  

“Then, to turn around and then be ready to go to the next call or to be so far out position to catch the next call; it's tough to get that next that next call answered,” he said. “It's something that we're vitally looking at and wanting to make sure that we can answer the calls for service.” 

Another difference Pederson has noticed is that, while structure fires were a nearly daily occurrence in Rockford, the calls are more wide-ranging in Whitefish.  

"Here ... you have a structure fire, you have major auto accidents, you have technical rescue for people that are hiking, climbing, boating, fishing, kayaking, skiing,” he said. “The wildfire threat is very palpable. I got here in July, and I was able to see, for the first time, the hanging smoke that sits in the valley when the wildland fires are going.” 

He added that Whitefish firefighters must be on their toes and ready for anything. 

“It's been a good choice to decide to, not only come step back into the fire service, but to step into this role -- to support the department, support the chief and support the city of Whitefish and the Whitefish Fire Service Area,” Pederson said. “I'm really happy about what I've decided to do with my next chapter of being in the fire service again.”