A new bill is looking to change how fire districts in Minnesota are funded. Unlike municipal fire departments, regional fire districts do not receive state or federal funding. Instead, they rely entirely on local taxes to fund fire and EMS services.
According to Cloquet Area Fire District Chief Jesse Buhs, his district provides smaller communities with services they might otherwise lack.
“When you take away the municipal boundaries, you can look at what’s best for an entire region,” Buhs said. “You can find efficiencies, you can find a way to collaborate and combine your staff and your equipment to make it a more effective, more capable response.”
A proposed bill in the Minnesota legislature would give fire districts access to state funding.