You’re invited! Join us Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Onamia to experience meaningful health and wellness training at the second annual Firefighter Health Forum. The inaugural Firefighter Health Forum in 2022 was such a success – gathering mental health experts and fire service leaders from across the state, and sparking...Read More

The passage of the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP) has given us a lot to celebrate and be thankful for recently, and one of the greatest proactive resources it will give Minnesota firefighters is support for ongoing annual MnFIRE Awareness training. During these free trainings, current and former firefighters and other health experts will provide...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

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

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

As Minnesota lawmakers meet to kick off the 2021 legislative session, we’re urging them to support the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HF0377) and prioritize funding to combat the life-threatening health issues facing Minnesota’s fire service. Minnesota ranks 48th in the nation in per-capita fire service spending. Critical funding shortages make it difficult for fire service...Read More

Wayne Kewitsch brings 25 years of experience in Minnesota’s fire service — and harrowing, first-hand understanding of the dangers firefighters face — to his new role helping firefighters across the state as MnFIRE’s first executive director. On Sunday, KSTP’s Eric Chaloux spoke with Kewitsch about his 20 years with the Richfield Fire Department, including the...Read More

While civilians may experience traumatic events only a few times in their life, firefighters experience stressful events on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. As a result, research shows that those in the fire service experience much higher rates of mental health challenges than the general population – particularly in the areas of sleep disorders, depression,...Read More