RFD goes to the city for new funding

(ABC 6 News) – As Rochester grows to the third most populated city in Minnesota, first responders ask the city for more resources to keep you safe.

Fire Chief Eric Kerska laid out an eight-step plan to fund the fire department. He highlights three main hurdles the department is facing: higher call volume, a growing coverage area and problems with recruiting.

Last year the Rochester Fire Department responded to more than 12 thousand calls, a new record.

“We have three fire crews downtown, and within two to three years they are going to be really strained,” said Kerska.

But RFD responds more to than fires; they also respond to every medical call in town. Kerska says if they didn’t respond to those, the call time would be too long, and lives could be lost.

“Worldwide we are among the safest places to have a cardiac arrest. Thats because of eight fire trucks with defibrillators and trained fire fighters, we can get to people very quickly,” said Kerska.

He says to help with medical calls he wants to have a mentorship program for emergency medical services, and eventually get an entire EMS-branch of the fire department.

“We’ll be looking for our local citizen to join us and we will train them to be EMTs and start going to calls in the street and that will be a boost towards a professional career,” said Kerska.

This could also help them out with recruiting struggles in today’s competitive job market.

“We are doing well currently, but we are putting a lot of effort into it. The numbers are kind of going in the wrong direction as far as our historic hiring pool is shrinking to we are trying to cast a wider net,” said Kerska.

Not only does he want to cast a wider net for hiring he also wants to cast a wider net on RFD’s coverage area. Every time the city grows and builds new homes and businesses those are new areas the fire department needs to respond to.

“If we are successful we can move an existing fire crew that’s already paid for and already here with a fire truck and move them to a new location northwest or southeast and cover more of the city,” said Chief Kerska.

Chief Kerska will be presenting the first two steps of his plan at Monday’s city council meeting. That includes asking for $600 thousand to cover the costs of an assistant fire chief, a captain, and more vehicles.

The entire eight-step plan will cost about $10.5 million, which would include a new fire station.

Kerska says, if his plan is approved, RFD’s investments could save the city money in the long run.