Jim Finstad was officially sworn in as Clear Lake’s new fire chief by Mayor Mark Ebeling during the City Council meeting on January 5, 2026. Finstad, a 26-year member of the Clear Lake Fire Department, was elected by the department’s firefighters to serve as chief.
Finstad had served as a captain with the department for the past 14 years before being selected for the top role.
Assistant Chief Mike Keefe presented the firefighters’ recommendation to the City Council, which unanimously approved Finstad’s appointment. Ebeling then administered the oath of office.
Finstad succeeds longtime Fire Chief Doug Meyers, who retired after 50 years of dedicated service to the Clear Lake community. Meyers served as Clear Lake’s fire chief for the last 26 years, according to local reporting on the transition.
City records now list Finstad as Clear Lake’s fire chief at the department, located at 711 2nd Avenue North. The department is responsible for fire suppression, hazardous materials containment, emergency medical support, vehicle extrication, public safety, fire prevention, technical rescue, ice and water rescue, and efforts to reduce loss of life and property.
The city describes Clear Lake firefighters as dedicated volunteers who sacrifice time with family, friends and the community to respond when needed. The department’s members are expected to attend monthly training sessions to stay prepared for emergency response.
Councilwoman Beth Ann Schumacher praised the department during the meeting and said firefighters represent the community well. She also noted that Finstad was one of her former students and said she was proud of him for being chosen as Clear Lake’s next fire chief.
Specific salary information tied to Finstad’s appointment was not located in the publicly available materials reviewed for this story. More recently, Finstad has appeared before the City Council as fire chief to discuss changes to volunteer firefighter stipends, including a proposal to compensate firefighters based on fire calls.
(TOP PHOTO via City of Clear Lake.)