As Twin Cities suburb rapidly develops, officials clash over fire department spending

The Dayton fire chief says the need is clear. As the northwest suburb explodes with growth, his department should have a ladder truck to respond to calls at new multistory apartment buildings and large industrial warehouses.

But more than a year after the City Council ordered the $2.5 million truck, the new council this month reversed that decision and canceled the purchase. Council members said a used model should be considered instead, and in the meantime, Dayton can lean on surrounding cities to share their equipment.

The whiplash concerned several firefighters who feel the council has adopted a pattern of undermining the chief and pulling support from the department. It’s the latest in a series of contentious debates that drove more than a dozen firefighters to sign a letter to the council, saying they feel disrespected and believe expert advice is being ignored.

How to structure and fund the volunteer fire department has become a flashpoint in Dayton, one of the fastest growing cities in the Twin Cities area. The fire department is pushing for a more structured staffing model and a long-term plan for expanding resources. But many council members say they need to reel in spending and take a harder look at what level of service the rural community should provide.

The friction has dominated council meetings over the past year, as well as closed-door discussions about investigations into department practices.

“This is the most hot-button topic in the city of Dayton,” City Administrator Zach Doud said.

Evolving fire departments have become a point of tension in many Minnesota cities, a clear sign of a community’s growing pains. Several cities are moving from volunteer to career departments, taking on extra costs and often raising taxes. In Orono and Long Lake, a yearslong disagreement over fire service sparked a lawsuit and an expensive mayoral race.

“It’s overshadowing everything,” Kummer said.

Fire Chief Gary Hendrickson, who started in 2022 as the city’s first full-time leader, said the department is facing increasing pressure as Dayton rapidly develops.

The fire department received 367 calls for service in 2021. That rose to 603 calls in 2024.

That has strained the city’s crew of on-call firefighters, many of whom say they are experiencing burnout. Hendrickson said the city struggles with a lower response to calls, especially during the day, because many firefighters work other jobs.

But city officials have butted heads over how to address those challenges.

Council members say they need to critically look at spending as the city deals with rising costs and increasing needs. The fire department last year had 26 on-call firefighters and a budget of $1 million. Dayton’s total city budget is more than $9 million.

Mayor Dennis Fisher said he’s grown frustrated because despite more than doubling the fire department budget since hiring a full-time chief, the same issues persist.

“From a resident standpoint, having to stand back and say, ‘What did we get for this?’ It’s difficult to show them,” he said.

Council Member Stephanie Henderson said she’s been asking tough questions and requesting more data. She said her inquiries have sometimes been unintentionally viewed as attacking the department.

“I want to make sure the solution we’re putting into place actually takes care of the gaps we’re seeing,” she said.

Hendrickson said “no one has ever been ‘pushed out’ of the organization.” The chief said he’s focused on “maintaining transparency, and ensuring we continue to serve the community effectively.”

Fisher said he’s struggled with “trust issues with the chief,” claiming that information provided has not always shown the complete picture.

Doud said “transparent information is always provided.” He said the council oversees the fire department but has been delving more into guiding operations, causing a struggle with staff.

Meanwhile, the city has done three outside investigations into claims about fire department operations. The council met in closed session over concerns about the chief creating a part-time administrative position, which the council did not initially know about.

Another investigation is ongoing into whether a city policy is being followed, Doud said, without adding details. He said none of the investigations have resulted in discipline.

Plans to staff stations with firefighters, aimed at creating a predictable schedule, stalled earlier this year. Council members debated whether reducing the number of medical calls firefighters respond to would help with burnout.

The fire department was responding to every medical call, while several other fire departments attend fewer of those 911 calls.

“I think a lot of these calls, at least I’m seeing, I’m not sure our guys do much with them,” Fisher said at a May meeting. “They show up to a call and twiddle their thumbs. What does that do for morale?”

The debate worried firefighters, who sent a letter to the council pushing for them to reconsider reducing calls and implement the new staffing model. They wrote that comments about them standing around at calls are “disheartening.”

The majority of Dayton firefighters are EMT certified, so they can provide several lifesaving measures before the ambulance arrives.

“I’m not saying it was a wrong decision; I just don’t necessarily agree with the process,” Breeggemann said, adding that he wished the council would have had a more thorough discussion with the department before making the change.

After months of debate, the council on a split vote in October agreed to hire up to eight part-time firefighters.

“We’ve been preventing some good things from happening because we’re busy arguing about this thing over here. I’m sick of that,” Council Member Sara Van Asten, who pushed for the vote, said at the meeting.

Council Member Henderson said she supports moving to a staffed department, but voted “no.” The city should first determine the impact of firefighters responding to a lower number of medical calls, she said.

“We’ve made some really large changes. And if you change too many things at once, you’re not going to know what actually is solving the problem,” she said.

“We have a hard job,” he said. “And when you hear them belittle our efforts, it betrays our trust.”

He said firefighters also feel budget debates have devolved into condescending remarks.

They point to a comment Fisher said when discussing a ladder truck: “I can’t tell you how many firefighters tell us: ‘Oh you’re going to get a parade unit.’”

The mayor said he regrets that remark. But he said cheaper alternatives need to be considered when such large purchases fall on taxpayers in his town of more than 11,000 people, which has several other major projects in the pipeline.

He said the council supports the department, as evidenced by it recently raising firefighter pay.