The Golden Valley Fire Department gets between 700 and 800 calls a year.
Like 90 percent of fire departments in Minnesota, it's dependent on paid on-call firefighters. And that's a model Chief John Crelly said has run its course.
"We believe that the sustainability of a true paid on-call model here in the metro is not sustainable," Crelly said.
At the moment, the department is authorized for 50 on-call firefighters.
In the next six months they are expected to lose five of those firefighters. Paid on-call fire departments like Golden Valley are having trouble filling positions.
"The struggle of bringing people in is related to today's changing lifestyle. Families are busier on the go," Crelly said.