All of us at MnFIRE are thrilled to announce that the Minnesota legislature passed the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program this week. This is a hard-fought, long-in-the-works win for the state’s fire service, and will ensure that every Minnesota firefighter will have access to education, prevention and care needed to handle a cardiac, emotional trauma or...Read More

The past year has been stressful for everyone, to say the least, and according to the American Psychological Association, pandemic-related stress comes with serious health consequences including changes to weight, sleep and alcohol use. First responders already face high exposure to traumatic stress incidents, so we caught up with Dr. Margaret Gavian, licensed psychologist and...Read More

Marshall Fire Chief Quentin Brunsvold recently hosted the MnFIRE cardiac and cancer deep dive sessions for his department this spring. He shared how these trainings have had an immense impact on both his personal health and the health of his department. Brunsvold heard the saying, “Are you the firefighter you want coming to rescue your...Read More

MnFIRE training gives departments valuable information to keep their firefighters safe and protected from the three problems most commonly experienced by those in the fire service: cardiac, emotional trauma and cancer. If you participate in a MnFIRE Training session and complete a quick and easy six-question Course Evaluation Survey through a link we’ll provide at...Read More

Whether you’re a firefighter, legislator or firefighter supporter we need your help to get the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HF377 & SF 621) passed in 2021! What is the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP)? Sponsored by Sen. Jeff Howe (R, District 13) in the Senate and Rep. Cheryl Youakim (D, District 46B) in the House,...Read More

Enjoy an afternoon on the green while supporting Minnesota firefighters – join us for the 2021 MnFORE Golf Tournament on Monday, May 24! We’ll be on Bearpath Golf & Country Club’s luxurious Jack Nicklaus Signature course to benefit the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative, which provides Minnesota’s firefighters with the tools they need to prioritize and protect...Read More

Thanks to a grant from the Fire Service Advisory Committee (FSAC), MnFIRE awareness training and cardiac, emotional wellness and cancer deep dive sessions are being offered both online and in-person at no cost to Minnesota fire departments through June 30, 2021. Nick Ferraro at the Pioneer Press recently wrote about the boosted efforts to educate...Read More

Did you know that more than 93% of all Minnesota firefighters are non-career? Non-career firefighters are often busy serving their community at night – responding to a cardiac arrest, fatal fire or car wreck – only to have to work their “regular” job during the day while continuing to fulfill their roles as a parent,...Read More

Our firefighters are tested both physically and mentally nearly every day on the job, and the health resources they receive now just aren’t cutting it. Cancer, emotional trauma and cardiac disease affect firefighters at rates that are approximately double those of the general public, and these health problems are the three reasons why Minnesota legislators...Read More

February is American Heart Month, and we’re marking the occasion by highlighting the importance of cardiovascular health and spreading awareness for the unique cardiac risks facing Minnesota’s firefighters. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the U.S., but did you know it’s also the number-one killer of firefighters nationwide? More than 12% of...Read More