From fighting fires to fixing Tonka trucks

After a career spent battling blazes and leading firefighting teams, retired Fire Chief Richard Bell has found a new way to keep his passion for fire trucks alive — by restoring miniature versions of them.
Bell, a former Mayville local and Vietnam veteran, served 16 years with the Mayville Fire Department before joining the Town of Algoma Fire Department. There, he rose through the ranks from firefighter to captain, ultimately becoming fire chief.
The former firefighter graduated from Mayville High School in 1965 before leaving to serve in the Navy as a construction builder.
“I was inside Vietnam my whole tour. After I got back, I went to work for Jack Walters and Sons in Allenton,” Bell explained.
Bell and some of his friends later decided to try their hands at community service in the early 1970s and joined the Mayville Fire Department. The men enjoyed the work, especially Bell, who became a career-long fire team member. Bell retired from the Algoma Fire Department in 2010, stepping away from his title of chief after five years.

Now retired, Bell devotes his free time to repairing and restoring vintage Tonka fire trucks, especially models from the 1950s and ’60s.
“I was at a rummage sale one day and I saw one of these Tonka fire trucks,” Bell explained. “And I thought it would be cool if I could restore that. So I took it home and started learning lots of stuff on how to take it apart, and where to get new parts.”
Bell gifted the refurbished truck to his brother, Dan, a Mayville resident.
“That was the first one, then I thought I'd better make one for myself,” Bell said.
From then on, it became a passion. And his collection and skills continued to grow. Word of his expertise in the field expanded until other fire departments wanted to get a truck to display inside their headquarters.
“I had fire departments in Minnesota and Illinois reach out and see if I can work on their trucks,” Bell said. “I had a guy from Nebraska send me his truck.”
Bell’s hobby has turned into a nationwide service, as he fixes and refurbishes the classic toys for other fire departments and collectors across the country. He takes pride in bringing the battered toys back to life, often tracking down rare parts and applying meticulous detail to each restoration.
Bell’s dedication to both his firefighting career and his unique hobby has made him a respected figure not only in Wisconsin but among fire service enthusiasts nationwide.