Moorhead

Fire Dept

111 12th St N

Moorhead MN  56560

 

(218) 299-5432

Moorhead fire budget includes new gear

By Amy Dalrymple,The Forum
Published Tuesday, September 07, 2004

Moorhead firefighters will get new top-of-the-line gear if city leaders approve the department's 2005 budget.

Under the proposal, the Moorhead Fire Department also would bring back the Citizens Fire Academy, which was cut during last year's budget shortfall.

The Moorhead City Council will take a look tonight at the Fire Department's $2.5 million budget.

The budget does not call for any additional firefighters, but Chief Joel Hewitt said the department may want to add more staff the following year.

The department has 27 firefighters, in addition to the chief and two other administrators. Seven firefighters are on duty at all times, Hewitt said.

Because one position is currently vacant, Hewitt and the other administrators are working three extra shifts a week to keep a full staff.

 

Assistant Chief Terry Beach retired July 31, Hewitt said. The department is working to hire a new firefighter this month.

Mayor Mark Voxland said he is comfortable with the level of fire protection for Moorhead.

But as the city grows, the department may request more staff in the future, Hewitt said.

"The more staff and resources you can throw on a fire early on has a great impact on how the outcome's going to be," Hewitt said.

The proposed budget includes $48,000 so each firefighter will have new custom-made turnout gear -- coat and pants worn on the job.

The new gear is made of the most flame-retardant material available, Hewitt said.

"We're going to be able to provide the optimum protection for our firefighters," he said. "Our most valuable resources are people."

Current fire-fighting gear is about five years old and needs replacing, Hewitt said. The lifespan of turnout gear is three to five years, he said.

A nearly $90,000 grant will buy the department 24 self-contained breathing apparatus units, Hewitt said.

Voxland said he is pleased to see that the proposal calls for the return of the Citizens Fire Academy, which he participated in a few years ago.

The program gives citizens the opportunity to experience what is required of a firefighter. Officials cut the program last year as a result of local government aid cuts from the state, Voxland said.

"As good as the fire academy was, and as important as it was, in the scheme of things we wanted to have public safety preserved as much as we could," he said.

In the department's five-year plan is a proposal for a $2 million propane burn building that would be used for training, Hewitt said.

The two-story concrete building is computer controlled and can simulate different types of fires. An operator can stop the fire at any time, so participants would be working in a controlled environment.

Hewitt said he has discussed the proposal with city leaders, but no revenue source has been designated for it.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Amy Dalrymple at (701) 241-5590

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Last modified: August 02, 2007