Crosslake Fire Hall Holds First Ever Women’s Expo

VIDEO: Women from all over Central Minnesota stopped by the Crosslake fire hall this past weekend for the area’s first ever Women’s Fire Service Expo. Organized through members of the Cuyana Range Fire Chief’s Association, this event provided women considering joining the fire service an opportunity to see firsthand what it’s like to be a first responder in a local fire department. Only 7% of firefighters in the service are women, and with older generations stepping away, there’s no better time to address that disparity. “Our fire departments are dwindling a little bit with the baby boomers moving out, so we really need to encourage more people to come in and we’re missing out on women being part of that,” explained Jen Elleraas, a captain with the Garrison Fire Department.
KAWE-TV PBS 9 Bemidji

Golden Valley Police, Firefighters Ready for a Summer Full of Opportunities to Meet Residents at Events

VIDEO: Summer means outdoor activities for the whole community to enjoy, and in Golden Valley, both police officers and firefighters are out helping with those events and are ready to use them to reach as many people as possible. “In addition to all of these great events where we can get out and meet people in non-emergency events, it’s also an opportunity for us to talk to people about becoming paid on-call firefighters with us,” said Chief Bethany Brunsell with the Golden Valley Fire Department. “We use a lot of these events as potential recruitment events as well as an opportunity to interact with the public and build relationships with people in our community.” The Public Safety Open House on June 26, the Public Safety in the Parks events all summer long, and National Night Out on August 6 are just a few of the events where you may see officers and firefighters interacting with attendees.
CCX Media

Firefighter poses for photo in front of every fire department in Minnesota – all 775

VIDEO/PHOTO: Firefighters are used to getting to their destinations in a hurry. Hubie Widmer took 10 years to complete his quest. “I said, ‘You know, I want to get my picture taken in front of every fire department in the state,’” Hubie said. In March, the Watertown firefighter completed his task. Over a decade, Hubie visited 775 fire departments – as best as he can tell relying on state records – every fire department in Minnesota. “We kind of didn't think it was ever going to get done,” Denice Widmer, Hubie’s wife, said with a laugh. Denice traveled with Hubie on most of his trips, crossing off towns on a 20-page list and photographing her husband in front of the fire stations they visited. The pictures Denice took of her husband fill 14 photo albums. “We’ve basically been to every town in the state of Minnesota.” Hubie says.
KARE-TV NBC 11 Minneapolis

Windom Masons donate fire suppression tools to local fire departments

PHOTO: Prudence Lodge 97 of Windom donated two fire suppression tools to the Windom and Mountain Lake fire departments on Friday evening during Windom’s raffle at its annual dance at the Windom Ice Arena and Mountain Lake’s burger feed fundraiser for its high school prom. About the size of a lunchbox, the devices are used in a small room where there is a fire. When the pin is pulled from the device, an aerosol is released that suppresses the flames and lowers the room’s temperature by 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit within 35 seconds of being placed in the burning room. Prudence Lodge 97 secretary Al Peterson said that the cost for such a device is being split into four parts. He said that helping local firefighters was a cause chosen by the Masonic lodge’s grandmaster in recent years and by other Masonic lodges in nearby states.
The Globe - Metered Site

New bill would help fund fire districts in Minnesota

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.
KBJR-TV NBC 6 Duluth