With evening thunderstorms brewing on the horizon, a dozen volunteer firefighters from Creston Fire Department delayed their weekly training last week as Susan Williams, a Many Lakes resident and First Interstate Bank employee, profusely thanked the group for all they did in the community.  

Softspoken and admittedly frightened of public speaking, her words were hard to hear over the traffic rushing past Fire Station 251.  

What wasn’t difficult to hear, though, were the audible gasps when Williams flipped over the jumbo check in her hands and revealed an unexpected number: a $25,000 grant to the Creston Fire Department.  

The gasps gave way to whoops of joy, and a few firefighters, sounding incredulous, shouted, "Thank you!" Some wiped tears from their eyes, and all looked shocked at the surprise gift.  

The Creston Fire Department was one of 40 recipients of First Interstate Bank's "Believe in Local" initiative. In its fifth year, the program doles out forty $25,000 grants to nonprofits making a difference in their community, according to First Interstate Foundation’s Executive Director Amberly Pahut.  

Creston Fire Department was selected from a pool of more than 620 nominees across a dozen states. 

"It's really about how you show up for your community," said Pahut. "This is an entire group of volunteers who are amazing. They are called on at some of the hardest times in people's lives, and there are some things that are incredibly tragic, but at the same time, they're the first beacon of hope, and that's incredibly important." 

"The money is really nice, and we can use that very much because we're all volunteers here," said Fire Chief Gary Mahugh, moments after receiving the check. "But it's the community support that probably means the most to everybody; just having people that believe in what we do. It's a tough job. We don't get a lot of thanks usually, and it's just nice to be recognized for what we do." 

Established in 1957, the Creston Fire Department covers 83 square miles and is staffed entirely by volunteer personnel. The department's 30 volunteers responded to more than 400 calls in 2025, a number that has nearly doubled in the last decade as Creston has grown.  

The department receives funding from Flathead County, around $272,000 a year or $23 per person in the Creston Fire District. According to the department, the district tax levy has not increased since the department was established.  

The fire department instead relies on donations to supplement funding from the County and purchase the necessary fire and medical equipment, personal protective gear and wildland fire gear. Currently, Creston Fire is undertaking the ambitious goal of constructing a new fire station, to replace Fire Station 251 which has been in use since the 1960s, entirely using fundraised dollars. The aging building is not designed for modern fire equipment and barely accommodates the weekly training sessions held there.  

First Interstate Bank considered these factors when selecting Creston Fire Department for the grant. Pahut explained that organizations are first nominated by employees at First Interstate Bank across all departments. The nominations are then reviewed by the selection committee who look for organizations that contribute to the revitalization of neighborhoods and strengthen communities.  

Williams, who lives in Many Lakes, nominated the Creston Fire Department.  

Other Flathead Valley organizations that have received a grant from the Believe in Local initiative in the last five years include the Center for Restorative Youth Justice, North Valley Food Bank, Flathead Food Bank and Whitefish Community Foundation.  

Mahugh said the department has not yet decided what they will spend the grant on, but as they continue to fundraise for the new fire station, the additional money will be helpful.  

"We have a lot of investment in the new building," Mahugh said. "Very likely the grant will be for some specialty items in that station." 

But most importantly, Mahugh said, the grant represents an investment in the Creston community itself, not just the Creston Fire Department.  

"When people donate money, they're not really giving it to us. They're making an investment. They're partnering with us," he said. "So if they if they ever have to call 911, they expect to see that money returned. They want trained people to help them in an apparatus that functions and are able to take care of the chaos that they're not bale to contain and control. That's where they want that money to come back." 

Reporter Elsa Ericksen can be reached at 406-758-4459 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.