Mangus retires as fire station manager

Longtime station manager of the Lovell Volunteer Fire Department, Bob Mangus, has retired after 27 years at the position.

Right after high school, Mangus went to mechanic school in Laramie at WyoTech. He then returned home and began working at Murphey Ford before going to work at American Colloid as a mechanic for 20 years.

Mangus first joined the department as a fireman in 1982 and took over the role as the station manager in 1998 when his dad, Ferrell Mangus, stepped down from the job after 12 years. 

“I did pretty much everything,” Mangus said. “I did the administrative stuff, worked on the trucks and all of it.”

Four years ago, his wife, Keela, retired from the Bank of Lovell but wasn’t ready to hang it up completely. The board approved her to help Mangus and split the job description. She took over the administrative and cleaning duties, while he managed the trucks and buildings.

He plans to stay active with the department, but stepped down as an officer at the beginning of the year, and now as station manager. With each fire call being different, experience is valuable, and Mangus has a wealth of fire department knowledge.

“I have been in an officer role for a long time,” he said. “I am going to stay on a little while longer. As long as my knees don’t give out, I am happy to continue helping the newer firemen, if needed.”

The timing finally felt right for Mangus to retire and enjoy his time doing other things.

“I figured if I didn’t retire soon, I would be there forever,” he said. “I want to be able to just go and do things as I want. It’s been a good ride, and I have loved it. I liked working there, and being around the guys is kind of like a family.”

Fire Chief Mike Jameson said that Mangus was essential in building the fire department over the years and has been a valuable asset all the way around.

“One good thing about Bob is that he kept all of our equipment up and running,” Jameson said. “Whether that meant staying there late, coming in early or on weekends, he was going to do whatever it took to make sure that we were ready for the next call.”

Jameson said that there were very few things at the fire hall that Mangus couldn’t fix or repair, and it was nice to be able to keep costs in-house.

“The department appreciates all the time and effort that he has put in to keep us going during his time as manager,” Jameson added.

When reflecting on the growth and changes to the station, Mangus just hopes that he walks away with the fire hall better than it was when he walked into it.