The Shakopee Fire Department is a dedicated team providing comprehensive fire, emergency medical, and rescue services to the City of Shakopee and the neighboring Jackson and Louisville Townships. Established in 1883, the department operates from two fire stations, equipped with a modern fleet of vehicles and specialized equipment.
Our firefighters are highly trained professionals, certified in Firefighter II and Hazardous Materials Operations by the Minnesota Fire Service Certification Board and as Emergency Medical Technicians by the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board. Many of our team members possess additional certifications in other areas such as water and technical rescue.
Get to know the Fire Department:
The Fire Department currently has 15 full-time staff and 27 part-time staff in the following capacities:
- 1 fire chief
- 2 deputy chiefs
- 1 fire marshal
- 3 captains (full-time)
- 2 lieutenants (part-time)
- 1 fire inspector
- 1 administrative assistant
- 6 full-time firefighters
- 25 part-time firefighters
The Operations Division is essentially the heart of the department’s emergency response capabilities. It’s responsible for the “boots on the ground” actions that directly protect the community. Here’s a breakdown of their key responsibilities:
- Fire Suppression: This is the core function, involving extinguishing fires in structures, vehicles, and wildland areas. Firefighters use various techniques, including water application, foam application, and ventilation.
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS): Firefighters provide emergency medical care to the public:
- Basic life support (BLS): Providing medical care such as CPR and first aid.
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT): All Shakopee firefighters are trained to this level, providing critical medical assistance to people in need.
- Rescue Operations: Firefighters are trained to rescue people from a variety of hazardous situations, such as vehicle extrication, water rescues, and confined space rescues.
- Hazardous Materials Response: Firefighters are equipped to handle incidents involving hazardous materials, such as chemical spills and leaks.
- Equipment and Technology: A wide range of specialized equipment is utilized and maintained, including fire engines, ladders, rescue tools, breathing apparatus, and much more.
- Incident Command System (ICS): A standardized system for managing emergency incidents, ensuring effective communication and coordination among responders. Shakopee firefighters are trained and operate using the Blue Card Incident Command Training and Certification Program designed to train and certify firefighters to serve as Incident Commanders (ICs) for local events.
The Administration Division of the Shakopee Fire Department, led by the Fire Chief, is responsible for the strategic oversight of the department.
This division ensures compliance with state and federal regulations while overseeing critical functions such as recruitment, retention, personnel management, and scheduling. Additionally, it handles payroll, maintains departmental policies, and is responsible for developing and managing the annual budget, ensuring that financial resources are allocated efficiently to meet the needs of the department and the community it serves.
This division ensures compliance with state and federal regulations while overseeing critical functions such as recruitment, retention, personnel management, and scheduling. Additionally, it handles payroll, maintains departmental policies, and is responsible for developing and managing the annual budget, ensuring that financial resources are allocated efficiently to meet the needs of the department and the community it serves.
The Training Division plays a crucial role in ensuring that firefighters are well-prepared to handle a wide range of emergencies. It’s responsible for maintaining the competency and readiness of the fire department’s personnel, ensuring that they are prepared to protect the community and their duties
encompass:
encompass:
- Providing Initial and Ongoing Training
- Ensuring Compliance with Standards
- Developing and Updating Training Programs
- Promoting Safety
- Specialized Training
The Department's fire prevention efforts focus on proactively reducing the occurrence and impact of fires and other emergencies.
The division's key functions include:
Inspections
The division's key functions include:
Inspections
- Conducting inspections of commercial and residential buildings to identify and correct fire hazards
- Enforcing fire codes and regulations
- Reviewing building plans to ensure they meet fire safety standards
- Identifying and mitigating potential fire hazards within the community
The Department's public education efforts focus on preventing fires and other emergencies from happening in the first place and educating the public on how to stay safe in the event of an emergency.
By combining proactive prevention measures with public education, we can significantly reduce the number of fires and injuries in the community.
The division's key functions include:
Community Outreach
By combining proactive prevention measures with public education, we can significantly reduce the number of fires and injuries in the community.
The division's key functions include:
Community Outreach
- Providing educational programs to schools, businesses, and community groups on fire safety topics
- Distributing fire safety information and materials
- Teaching people how to prevent fires, how to react in case of a fire, and how to use fire extinguishers
- Promoting the importance of smoke detectors and escape plans
- Working to reduce the communities risk of many hazards, not just fire, but also things like falls and other home safety