2014 Annual Report

BEMIDJI FIRE DEPARTMENT 2014 Annual Report

David A. Hoefer Bemidji Fire Chief Welcome by Fire Chief David Hoefer

2014 saw many changes for our organization; a critical role at one of the largest wildfires in the BFD Quick Facts: new equipment, new personnel, and new challenges, state, the Nary Road fire near Cass Lake. This fire all of which provided us with great opportunities. saw many resources, both ground and air, deployed  522 Square Mile We placed into service a new fire engine, Engine 3, from multiple federal, state, county, and local agen- which replaced Engine 9, that was a 1979 model. cies. Bemidji Fire Department provided two En- coverage area This new engine is part of our joint city/rural 20 gine/Tender structural protection crews and inci- year capital improvement plan. This plan allows us dent command staff.  3 Cities and 15 to effectively plan and budget for ongoing capital The winter months saw a continuation of the Townships needs of our organization. Our next major item in quality training program we offer to our firefighters the plan is a new fire station located in the Nymore Served as they had an opportunity to expand their area of our community. The property for the station knowledge with 8 different professional develop- has been purchased and construction is planned for  35,000 perma- ment courses offered at the fire station. Firefighters 2016. This project has been in development for completed over 3,205 hours of training and profes- nent residents many years; we are excited and energized at the sional development in 2014. Your Bemidji firefight- thought of a new fire station. ers continue to demonstrate their commitment to  Operate from 3 The Bemidji area had no loss of life from acci- the department and our communities as they con- fire stations dental fires in 2014; however we did have one seri- stantly seek to improve themselves in order to serve ous injury from a house fire in May. Homes contin- others better.  48 Firefighters ue to be our most common location for serious inju- In 2014 we delivered 2,010 calls for service to and Fire Offic- ry and/or loss of life from fire. Fires remind us on a our area. Our regional’s fire service continued to ers regular basis how quickly someone’s life can change show their commitment to helping one another dur- from its impact. ing times of need through our mutual aid system.

2014 saw a more “normal” wildland fire season We saw many of our neighboring fire departments  ISO Class 4/7 provide assistance to Bemidji in 2014. We openly for the Bemidji area. We did have a few larger returned the favor as we deployed Bemidji Fire De- wildland fires that required significant resources;  2,010 Calls for partment resources to many emergency calls as however, through the efforts of many, no lives or service in 2014 structures were lost from wildfires in the Bemidji members of local, county, and statewide mutual aid area in 2014. Bemidji Fire Department’s staff played plans.  93 Fire calls in Continued on page 7 2014 Services Provided Inside this issue:  33 Building Fires in 2014 The Bemidji Fire Department provides fire protection, fire prevention, technical rescue, and emergency services to the following: Calls for Service Breakdown

Calls for Service by LGUs  No fire related Beltrami County: deaths in 2014  Cities of Bemidji, Turtle River and Wilton Fire Prevention  Townships of Durand, Liberty, Turtle Lake, Port Hope, Eckles, Training  Estimated $7.8 Northern, Turtle River, Grant Valley, Bemidji and Frohn Responses by Apparatus

million property Hubbard County: Type of Alarms saved in 2014  Townships of Fern, Rockwood, Helga, Lake Hattie and Mutual Aid Schoolcraft.  Estimated $1.0 Alternative Funding million property Bemidji Firefighters also provide: ISO information lost in 2014  Non-transport emergency medical services to the City of Bemidji  Fire protection and Rescue services to the Bemidji Regional Air- Fire Investigation port Water Supply  Dedicated and non-dedicated Fire, Rescue, and/or EMS stand-by Fleet Maintenance at numerous community events throughout the year

Page 2 Bemidji Fire Department 2014 Annual Report

Calls for Service Breakdown

The Bemidji Fire Department responded to es with injuries and 38 were dedicated EMS 2,010 calls for service in 2014. Below the calls standbys at the Sanford Center. Of the are broken down into categories as recom- 1,124 recorded Service Calls; 1,088 were ren- mended by the National Fire Incident Report- dered to the Bemidji Regional Airport for ing System. The blue description gives some aircraft emergency standby. examples of types of calls that fall within each Firefighters used the “Jaws The information that is collected is shared category. of Life” to remove the crit- not only locally, but to the State of Minneso- ically injured occupant of We responded to 93 fires in 2014, this is ta and then on to the National level. This this vehicle. down from 102 in 2013. The total Rescue & information identifies problem areas which Emergency Medical Services responses were can be addressed by changes to fire and 539; of these calls, 367 were non-transport building codes, as well as by public education medical calls, 104 were Motor Vehicle Crash- campaigns.

Fires 93 Building fires, chimney fires, dumpster fires, (33 Building fires) Past Years: vehicle fires, and grass fires (20 Wildland fires) Fires Total calls (13 Vehicle fires) 2013: 102 2108

2012: 136 2213 Rescue & Emergency Medical Services 539 2011: 84 2308 Vehicle Crashes with injuries, lock in/out, (367 Medicals) confined space rescues, high angle (38 Sanford EMS) 2010: 98 2656 rescues, water or ice rescues, and medicals 2009: 77 2600

Hazardous Conditions - no fire 50 2008: 100 2836 Carbon Monoxide incidents, gas/fuel spills, 2007: 102 2770 gas ruptures, downed power lines, ballasts 2006: 112 2961 Service Call 1124 2005: 136 3560 Water problem, assist police, animal rescue, (1,088 ARFF) assist public, unauthorized burning, ARFF coverage 2004: 104 3271

Good Intent Call 38 Prescribed fire, smoke/steam scare, wrong location, and investigations

False Alarm & False Call 164 Malicious/non-malicious false calls, system malfunction, smoke detectors, bomb scares, and unintentional notifications

Severe Weather & Natural Disaster 0 Severe weather or natural disasters, wind storm, flood assistance, and lightning strikes

Special Incident Type 2

Total Calls for 2014 2,010 Page 3 Bemidji Fire Department 2014 Annual Report

Calls for Service by Local Government Units (LGUs)

Because Bemidji Fire Department services a large geographic area, the calls for service can be broken down by the 15 townships and 3 cities that we cover (LGUs). The rural LGUs are part of the Bemidji Rural Fire Association (BRFA). The BRFA has a fire protection agreement with the City of Bemidji to provide a joint fire and rescue services to their respective residents. Bemidji Firefighters prepare to extinguish one Haz- of many vehicle fires Spe- ardou Se- over the past year. Ser- cial Res- s Good False vere Total Fires vice Inci- cues Con- Intent Calls Weat Calls Calls dent dition her Type s Bemidji Fire Bemidji, Twp 16 4 4 2 3 5 34 responded Bemidji, City 39 482 34 1116 23 129 2 1786 to an Durand 3 3 Eckles 8 9 2 1 1 1 22 average of Fern 3 3 5.5 calls for Frohn 5 5 2 4 16 service each Grant Valley 5 7 1 1 1 6 21 day in 2014 Helga 2 1 1 4 Lake Hattie 1 1 1 3 1 1 Liberty 6 Quick Fact Northern 5 19 4 5 13 46 Port Hope 1 1 2  Busiest day of the week Rockwood 2 2 Schoolcraft 1 1 is Saturday Turtle Lake 2 1 3 Turtle River, City 1 1 2  Busiest time of day is 3 2 1 2 2 Turtle River, Twp 10 11:00am - 12:00pm Wilton 1 1 Out of Area 4 2 1 1 8  254 Simultaneous calls Grand Total for 2014 93 539 50 1124 38 164 0 2 2010 for service

Fire Injuries, Deaths, and Property Loss  The Bemidji area had no lives lost and one injury due to fire in 2014.  The estimated dollar loss to property from fire in 2014 was $960,877.  The estimated dollar value saved from fires in 2014 was $7,775,995. Firefighters finish helping load a critically injured patient into a “life flight” helicopter . Page 4 Bemidji Fire Department 2014 Annual Report

Training: by Training Officer Mike Mischke

BFD personnel completed 3336 Academy. Technical Rescue training hours of training in 2014. Paid-on-call continued, with the addition of Surface Minnesota Fire Departments firefighters averaged 59 hours of train- Water Rescue training overseen by AC with 100 or more ing and career firefighters averaged 170 Loebs. Fire Investigation was also a hours of training for the year, in a wide focus, with one member attending the fire responses in 2013 range of topics. National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Fire Department Fires A significant challenge was met Maryland, and the addition of another MINNEAPOLIS 1210 with outstanding commitment as we to the Investigation Team. Multiple 1 achieved our institutional goal of having conferences were attended, including 2 ST. PAUL 1189 the MN Fire Chief’s Assn. Officer all members of the department with five 3 BROOKLYN PARK 286 Conference, MN IAAI Arson Confer- or more years of service qualify as 4 DULUTH 251 equipment operators. This allows us to ence, Fire Instructor/Training Officer keep up with the turnover of experi- Conference, and State Fire Marshal’s 5 ST. CLOUD 217 enced equipment operators as well as Fire Prevention/Code Enforcement 6 ROCHESTER 212 Conference. giving us much more operational flexi- 7 BLOOMINGTON 203 bility. Another significant challenge We look forward to a busy and 8 WEST METRO 168 accomplished as a group was the suc- exciting 2015 when we will be hosting 9 ST. LOUIS PARK 160 cessful administration of three Basic several regional/statewide course offer- 10 SOUTH METRO 142 Firefighter Courses. Again, Captain ings, including an Ice Rescue Techni- Sherwood has done an excellent job in FRIDLEY 129 cian course, a National Fire Academy 11 building a stringent initial firefighter 12 PLYMOUTH 124 training program, instructed by both Decision-making course, and both Captains and Career Firefighters, tai- Basic and Advanced Arson Investiga- 13 SPRING LAKE PARK 122 lored to meet BFD’s needs while meet- tion courses through the State Fire 14 BROOKLYN CENTER 117 ing NFPA Standards. The purchase of Marshal’s Division, as well as seven 15 INVER GROVE HTS. 109 a shipping container to be used for ini- course offerings of our own. Our 16 BURNSVILLE 107 tial Live Burn training assisted with this training goal, as always, is to continue and will be a valuable training resource. 17 MAPLE GROVE 107 BFD hosted and instructed six course to meet the future needs and expecta- 18 COON RAPIDS 106 offerings including Fire Officer II, Rope tions of our community and region, 19 BEMIDJI 102 Rescue, Pump Operations and Pump and provide the highest level of service possible.

Reponses by Fire Apparatus The following is a list of the total responses by our fire service fleet during 2014:

Engine 1: 32 Squad 3: 401 Engine 2: 229 Squad 4: 22 Engine 3: 367 Squad 5: 364 Engine 8: 22 Squad 6: 239 Ladder 4: 12 Chief 1: 81 Tender 10: 14 ARFF: 0 Firefighters participate in a live fire Tender 11: 22 Hovercraft: 1 training exercise inside an intermodal Tender 12: 37 Marine 1: 3 container acquired this year by the fire department. Page 5 Bemidji Fire Department 2014 Annual Report

Technical Rescue: by Captain Justin Sherwood

In 2014, Bemidji Fire Department continued its technical rescue service agreement with Cass Lake Fire Department. Four training sessions, as well as a scenario based session, were conducted to familiarize the team members with new equipment, basic rigging and rescue situations. High angle rescue, low angle rescue and confined space rescue topics were also covered.

In 2015, we look to expand our knowledge in the many rescue situations we may be ex- Firefighters inflate a posed to. Training sessions are scheduled quarterly in 2015 to help better prepare our team ‘Fortuna Boat’ prior to members for common rescue scenarios in our area. This session will include a high angle type conducting annual ice rescue. We also hope to purchase additional equipment to place at Station 2 and Station 3. rescue training on Lake Bemidji Water/Ice Rescue Alarm Types by Asst. Fire Chief Chris Loebs Over 98% of all responses are completed by the on In 2014, we again conducted our annual practi- -duty career and dormitory firefighters. However, cal ice rescue training each; member of the the Bemidji Fire Department utilizes multiple types Firefighter team participates in a “Self” and a “Go” rescue of ‘alarms’ when additional or specialized resources Fitness: are needed. These alarms include an ‘All Call’ to maintain their certification, along with some The Fire alarm for large incidents such as structure fires; Department’s pool exercises for open water rescues. We also where all available firefighters are summoned; continued to train on the equipment we have ‘Sectional’ alarms are used when half of the depart- Fitness available, including Marine 1, which is a differ- ment is needed, such as smaller grass fires; equipment was ent boat from last year, and Hover 1, maneu- “Specialty Team” alarms when staff with special- used for an vering each craft around Lake Bemidji and ized training are needed, such as Water/Ice rescue. average of 3 loading and off-loading each of them. We out- hours per day. fitted each Engine at Station 2 and 3 with an Total All Call Alarms: 27 Ice Rescue Suit, Rescue Ring with 75’ of rope Total Sectional Alarms: 20 and a Float Coat so that each station has some Total Other Alarms: 6 response/rescue capabilities as they await the Station 1 crew. We have assisted our mutual aid departments with several incidents in re- Emergency Medical Services sponse to their request of the hovercraft. In 2015 we have more training setup and are con- The Bemidji Fire Department continues to improve its role as a tinuing to grow our partnership with the Sher- key emergency service provider for the City of Bemidji. Bemidji iff’s office boat and water department. Fire Department provides medical assessment and initial care of life threatening emergencies inside the city limits. Sharing in this role is Bemidji Police Department with Bemidji Ambulance Ser- vice providing advanced care and transport for Bemidji’s citizens.

Over the last year, BFD and Bemidji Ambulance have worked to combine and consolidate their equipment and resources, providing a more streamlined approach to emergency care. Disposable medical supplies are now shared between agencies, and are pro- Water rescue training on Lake Bemidji. vided to Bemidji Fire Department by Bemidji Ambulance. Page 6 Bemidji Fire Department 2014 Annual Report

ISO Information The Bemidji Fire Department’s ISO Public Protection Classi- Bemidji Fire Department operates from three ISO recog- fication: nized fire stations strategically located within the Bemidji area. The locations of our fire stations are: Class 4 for properties within 5 road miles of a recognized fire station and within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant. Fire Station #1: 318 5th St NW Class 7 for properties beyond 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant but Fire Station #2: 1915 5th St SE within 5 road miles of a recognized fire station. Fire Station #3: 3810 Moberg Dr NW Class 10 applies to properties over 5 road miles of a recognized fire station.

ISO classification system and its impact on insurance

ISO uses a 1 to 10 number system for it’s classifications with “1” representing the best. ISO’s Public Protection Classifica- tion Program (PPC) plays an important role in the underwriting process at insurance companies. In fact, most U. S. insur- ers use PPC information as part of their decision making when deciding what coverage’s to offer or prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance.

BFD Mission Statement Our mission is to provide the best fire, rescue, and emergency medical services possible to our community and fire protection area.

Page 7 Bemidji Fire Department 2014 Annual Report

Welcome: Continued from page 1: Fire prevention continues to be an important mission for our fire department. We know the most effective and efficient method for saving lives and protecting property from fires is through prevention. We continue to be proactive in our community by providing fire prevention education and fire code enforcement. This year saw the introduction of a Youth Fire Setter Intervention Team here in Bemidji. This group of area professionals is committed to making a difference to youth in our community. With limited staff and resources the department has many fire prevention activities that we are unable to complete. The addition of a Fire Marshal position is much needed and overdue. I am hopeful that in the future we will be able to have the adequate resources we need to complete our fire prevention mission. We continued to see many alternative funding sources this year, with over $69,303 secured. One of the grant projects included funding wildland personal protective equipment for all of our firefighters. This is the first time in the history of our department that all of our members have all the necessary protective equipment to do the jobs we ask of them. 2014 saw the retirement of longtime Bemidji firefighters, Don Braaten and Mike Collins. They both have provided many years of leadership and service to our community and we will miss their knowledge and experience. Bemidji, like many communities, is finding it more difficult to recruit firefighters. For the past few years we have had open positions on our roster. The department continues to explore recruiting methods and other options to bolster interest in the fire service. In 2014, 2015, and 2016 we will be participating in a state funded recruitment and retention pilot program that will provide a financial incentive of $500 per year to each paid on call firefighter who is active thru out the year. I am very proud of our fire department, its members and their families. As leaders in our community, region, and state, our firefighter’s commitment to service and passion for helping others is second to none. I continue to count my blessings to be part of a group of superb individuals, thank you Bemidji Firefighters for what you do for our community. Respectfully Submitted by: David Hoefer, Fire Chief

Firefighter Fitness: by Captain Justin Sherwood Our fitness areas have continued to expand with the help of fundraising efforts by the Bemidji Jaycees. With the purchase of a new treadmill in 2014, Firefighters now have access to two treadmills at BFD Station 1 and one treadmill at BFD Sta- tion 3. Over 20 Fire Fighters actively utilized fitness equipment located at Station 1 and Station 3. On average, the physical fitness equipment was used a minimum of 3 hours each day.

In 2015, we hope to add a stair machine. This will be a great addition to our cardio fitness as it replicates job related tasks.

Alternative Funding Firefighters arrive on scene to The primary revenue source for the fire department is property taxes, how- this fully involved structure fire ever the department is always looking for alternative funding options such on 23rd street SE as grants and donations. . In 2014 the department secured over $69,303 in alternative funding. Some of the purchases and funding included:

 Wildland Personal Protective Equipment and Rescue Equipment (Assistance to Firefighters Grant)

 Fire Nozzles (Enbridge donation)

 AED and CPR equipment (Eagles donation)

 EMS supplies, training, equipment (Northwest EMS grant) Page 8 Bemidji Fire Department 2014 Annual Report

Mutual Aid Mutual Aid is a term used to describe when our services and/or equipment is requested by, or rendered to another fire depart- Did you know that: ment/agency. Most fire departments throughout the country  There were 6,330 Structure fires rely on these relationships when extenuating circumstances in Minnesota in 2013. arise, or when resources are out of position. The department  44 fire deaths in 2013 statewide has 10 local mutual aid agreements and is a member of the intra-  Unattended cooking is the leading cause of state mutual aid plan. The Bemidji Fire Department received structure fires in Minnesota. mutual aid 14 times and rendered mutual aid 17 times in 2014.  Most common place for a fire in Minnesota is our homes. Fire Department/Agency Received Given

Cass Lake Fire Department 2 2 Source: 2013 State Fire Marshal Report Blackduck Fire Department 1 - Lake George Fire Department 2 - Minnesota DNR Fire 5 13 Lakeport Fire Department 1 1 Solway Fire Department 3 1 Totals 14 17

Local Mutual Aid Partners Alaska, Bagley, Blackduck, Cass Lake, Kelliher, Lake George, Lakeport, Shevlin, Solway and Minnesota DNR-Forestry

Firefighter Oelrich receives his black helmet after completing his one year probationary period. He is pictured here with his helmet along with the Bemidji Fire Department Honor Guard

Honor Guard Bemidji Fire Department’s Honor Guard had a very active year in 2014. The honor guard was involved in a number of community events, including numerous parades and celebrations. The honor guard group consists of active and retired firefighters along with two Bemidji area bagpipers. The group routinely meets to refine their skills and are viewed as a model honor guard program by others throughout the state. They are excellent ambassadors for our community and department. Bemidji Fire Department members provide mutual aid assistance with Cass Lake Fire Department at this railroad tie fire. Page 9 Bemidji Fire Department 2014 Annual Report

Fire Prevention Fire prevention continues to be a top priority of the Bemidji Fire Department. It is a proactive method of reducing emergencies and the damage caused by them. All successful fire prevention programs involve education and code enforcement. The goal of public fire education is to educate the public to take precautions to prevent fires, and to be educated about surviving them. In 2014, 110 public education events were conducted. They included the use of our fire safety house, elementary school visits, educational tours of our station, and public service to professional and civic groups throughout our community. Although Fire Prevention Month is in the month of October, education is a year-round campaign. Bemidji Firefighters conducted 169 inspections throughout the year; these included plan reviews, pre-planning, and gen- eral fire code inspections of new and existing structures located throughout our service area. Bemidji firefighters completed annual inspections of licensed liquor establishments, gas stations, multi-unit apartments and assisted living facilities.

Hundreds of In 2013, 12% of lives lost in Minnesota fires occurred when people attend- working smoke alarms were absent or not working. ed our annual open house on - Minnesota State Fire Marshal October 11. 2013 Report

Public Education: by Captain Justin Sherwood Bemidji Fire Department strongly believes that we can impact and protect the largest number of citizens in our area through public education. Public education is one of many proactive tools that we use to educate our citizens. In 2014, Bemidji Fire Department made big improvements in this area. Some of which include the following: Age appropriate fire safety curriculum was delivered at the elementary school level. Our new program, “S.A.F.E” (Students and Firefighters Engage) was continued to public and private schools in our protection area. Our new program titled, “The Fire Safety House Program” was a huge success. This fire safety program was positively received by all 3rd grade students in our protection area. Each student went through a 45 minute program designed to teach them about fire escape plans, meeting places and dialing 911. Members of the Bemidji Fire Department attended a National Fire Academy course hosted by the Minnesota State Fire Marshall’s Office. This certification course, Youth Firesetting Prevention and Intervention Specialist Certification, taught members who sets fire and why, to interview firesetters and their families using prepared forms and guidelines, and to follow recommend practices to determine the best intervention strategy. As we look forward to 2015, we will continue to provide age appropriate public education and informational resources to our citizens. Our education programs will continue to develop and improve as we strive to meet the safety needs in our community.

 Residential fires accounted for 76% of all structure fires and 54% of total dollar loss statewide.  In 2013, 44 civilians lost their lives in Minnesota Fires, a 12% decrease from 2012.

- Minnesota State Fire Marshal 2013 Report Page 10 Bemidji Fire Department 2014 Annual Report

Fire Investigation by Trent Eineichner Firefighter/Certified Fire Investigator It is required by MN state statute that all fires in our response area be investigated by the fire chief or his designee to determine the origin and cause of each fire. The Bemidji Fire Department currently has four fire investigators. These investigators receive their initial training from the MN State Fire Marshals, MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and/or The National Fire Academy with regular ongoing continuing education. Our investigators work in conjunction with law enforcement investigators from Beltrami County Sher- iff’s Office, Bemidji Police Department, Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office, MN DNR Forestry and MN State Fire Marshal’s office. All fires are investigated using the seven steps of the scientific method while following the accepted A Bemidji Fire Investigator examines a standards of NFPA 921 and the guidelines of NFPA 1033. copper wire for signs of “arcing” During 2014 our investigative team was used to investigate over 35 fires of unknown origin or cause. As a result of our investigative participation we were able to get two arson convictions during 2014, with some past cases still open.

Fleet Maintenance: by Captain Chad Hokuf 2014 was an exciting year at the Bemidji Fire department with the addition of a new fire engine to replace an old fire engine built in 1979. The bid for the new engine was awarded to Pierce Manufacturing of Appleton Wisconsin and Bradenton Florida. The new Engine (#3) is a custom built vehicle made specifically for firefighting. Custom built chassis for firefighting vehicles are made for safety and ease of use for firefighting and emergency response. Cab over designs make turning in tight and congested areas of the city easier along with safety features built into the cab for firefighters, equipment and tools. The cost of the vehicle without equipment was $375,000.00, and after outfitting the engine with hose, axes, saws, etc., totaling nearly $125,000.00, the grand total of the apparatus was $497,935.80. This new fire engine will be in service with the fire department for at least 20 years and would Engine 3 on the assembly line at Pierce be expected to be retired at 25 years old. Manufacturing Vehicle maintenance is an ongoing project throughout the year at the department. Career firefighters throughout the work days perform light maintenance and repairs to keep the vehicles operational. Every fall from October through December an annual inspection is per- formed to ensure all of the vehicles stay response ready. Oil and fuel filters are changed along with bearings and doors lubricated, brakes Engine 3 during its pre-delivery inspection and steering components are checked and greased. A local truck repair shop also performs a DOT inspection on the vehicles to ensure that nothing has been over looked or missed. The fire department is lucky to have access to the public works department’s maintenance garage and performs almost all repairs in house at this location. We are excited to start planning for a new command vehicle for the fire chief in 2015 for the immediate arrival in early 2016. Other new vehicles in the near future would be a possible refurbishment of a wild land vehicle in current use, and the replacement of a pickup and a water tender in the beginning of 2017. Page 11 Bemidji Fire Department 2014 Annual Report

Water Supply: by Firefighter/Water Supply Officer Trent Eineichner In our protection area we operate using four water sources:  Pressurized Fire Hydrants  Dry Fire Hydrants  Designated Water Points  Alternative Water Sources

Our pressurized hydrants are fed through the municipal water supply. This consists of 105 miles of water mains which hold 1,989,343 gallons of water, three water towers with a combined capaci- ty of 1,750,000 gallons and 879 fire hydrants. The regular pressure of this system is about 60 PSI. The fire department uses 2 ½”, 3” and 5” Bemidji Engine 2 drafting from water soft hoses to supply from these hydrants. Most of these fire hydrants “drop” tanks as Tender 12 unloads water. are capable of fire flows between 500-2000 gallons per minute.

Dry hydrants are a “non-pressurized water delivery system” which provide a ready source of water for the fire department to use in areas without pressurized hydrants. It is a pipe extending into a suitable Dry Hydrant Locations body of water with a fitting on the end which will match the fire de-  Wilton partment’s hard suction hose and a strainer on the other end. To avoid  Deer Lake freezing, the pipe is usually installed with 5 feet of water covering the  Lake Julia intake on static water sources and less on moving water. It is also in-  Turtle Lake stalled below the frost line in the ground to prevent freezing. The Be-  Gull Lake Loop midji Fire Department currently uses and maintains 10 dry hydrants.  Turtle River Besides emergency use, each dry hydrant is trained on at least 4 times  Power Dam per year, usually during the summer months. You may have noticed  North Plantagenet fire department vehicles pumping water alongside a road with no fire in  Big Bass Lake the area.  Hennepin Lake

Bridge Dry Hydrant Locations (coming spring 2015)  Becida Rd SW and Mississippi River  Lake Ave NE and Mississippi River  Hubbard Cty Road 9 and Schoolcraft River

Firefighters operate a “master stream” device atop Engine 8 during a dry hydrant

Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the fire department or this report.

Bemidji Fire Department We hope you have a safe 2015. Phone: 218-751-8001 318 5th Street NW Fax: 218-751-7075 Bemidji, MN 56601 e-mail: [email protected] Bemidji Fire Department Service Area

Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the fire department or this report.

Bemidji Fire Department We hope you have a safe Phone: 218-751-8001 318 5th Street NW Fax: 218-751-7075 2013. Bemidji, MN 56601 e-mail: [email protected]