Debuts at July 31 at Public Screening
Sister Bay, Wis. (July 15, 2026) — The Sister Bay & Liberty Grove Fire Department History Project has completed a new documentary video tracing the department’s history from the historic 1912 Sister Bay fire through the formation and evolution of the modern fire department.
A free public screening of the documentary, “Through Fire, A Community: The Sister Bay & Liberty Grove Fire Department,” will be held Friday, July 31, 2026, 6:30 p.m., at the Sister Bay fire station. The date marks the anniversary of the 1912 fire that nearly destroyed the village and helped shape the community’s understanding of the need for organized fire protection.
The 21-minute documentary is the centerpiece of a multi-year history project launched in 2021 by former Fire Chief Chris Hecht, who believed the department’s history was at risk of being lost as longtime firefighters, families and community members aged or passed on.
“This project began with Chris saying that too much of the department’s history was slipping between our fingers,” said Maryanne O’Dowd, director of the history project and writer of the documentary. “What started as an oral history effort became something much larger, a documentary, a digital archive in progress and a community record.”
For current Fire Chief Mike Goldstone, the documentary is both a tribute to the department’s past and a reminder of the responsibility carried forward by today’s volunteers.
“This film honors the people who built this department, and the families and neighbors who stood behind them every step of the way,” Goldstone said. “It’s taken years, and no small number of obstacles, to bring this story to the screen, but it was worth every bit of the effort.
“The truth this film tells is simple: the equipment and training have changed dramatically over the decades, but the heart of this department has never changed. It’s still people willing to answer the call,” Goldstone added. “That need hasn’t gone away – if anything, it’s greater than ever. We hope this film reminds our community what’s possible when people show up for each other.”
The film follows the department’s story from the era of bucket brigades to the purchase of Sister Bay’s first fire truck in 1929, the appointment of first Fire Chief Adolph Roeser in 1930, and the shared commitment between Sister Bay and Liberty Grove to provide fire protection for residents, visitors, shoreline and countryside.
It also looks at the generations of chiefs, firefighters, families and community members who built and sustained the department through changing times, new equipment, modern training, devastating fires, emergency medical response, fire prevention efforts and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“At its heart, this is not just a fire department story,” O’Dowd said. “It is a community story. It is about neighbors standing ready for one another, and about the families and volunteers who made that possible across generations.”
The documentary includes recorded reflections from Hecht, who died in January 2026, as well as interviews and stories from current and retired members of the department. Wisconsin author and volunteer firefighter Michael Perry narrates the film. Video production was provided by Door County Digital, Door Guide Publishing’s video department, with camera work by Bill Youmans.
The SBLGFD digital history hub is still in progress and is expected to become the project’s focus after the documentary’s release, with a goal of launching in time for National Fire Prevention Week 2026.
The July 31 screening of “Through Fire, A Community” is free and open to the public. A Q&A with members of the history project and documentary production team will follow the screening.
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