Do you have a voice in the future of the fire service? The answer to that question will come later. But first, let me help you understand who represents the Minnesota fire service. According to the Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education (MBFTE), which tracks firefighters throughout the State for funding distributions, 19,880 firefighters in Minnestoa represent 774 departments. The breakdown of the fire departments include:
16 - All Career
86 - Combination (At least one career)
363 - Paid "On-Call."
309 - All Volunteer
Collectively, the responders of these departments protect over 5.5 million residents and countless more who work, visit and travel throughout our great State. It is no easy task with most of our firefighters serving after their full-time employment and between soccer games, dance, hockey, school events, and just life. Time has become the new money for many of our firefighters, and the pandemic allowed all of us to consider what is important in the short time we have on this earth. Even with those barriers, the Minnesota fire service jumps into action as soon as the alarm sounds.