HomeMy WebLinkAbout#10 - Fire Department Annual Report (2)
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 3/4/2025
REGULAR
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Dustin Kalis, Fire Chief & Anthony Svoboda, Assistant Fire Chief
AGENDA ITEM: 2024 Fire Department Annual Report
REVIEWED BY: Nicole Miller, City Administrator
CORE STRATEGIES:
☐ Vibrant, inclusive, connected community ☒ Efficient, reliable, innovative services
☒ Responsive, transparent, adaptive governance ☐ Balanced Finances now and future
☐ Managed Growth ☐ Resilient Infrastructure
BACKGROUND:
The 2024 Lake Elmo Fire Department Annual Report allows us to share our data regarding our
responses to emergency incidents and the service we provide to our city and surrounding
communities. It also allows the department to highlight some of the accomplishments, trainings
and activities that took place throughout the previous year.
ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL:
Should the City Council accept the 2024 Fire Department Annual Report as presented?
PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS:
The fire department annual report allows the department to share data regarding emergency
incidents and provide insight into our overall department operations. Data gathered within this
report is used planning future department goals and objectives.
RECOMMENDATION:
Motion to adopt the 2024 Fire Department Annual Report.
ATTACHMENTS:
1) 2024 Fire Department Annual Report.
- Annual Report -
2024
Table of Contents
- Message from the Fire Chief
- Introduction
- History
- Administration
- Operations
- Training
- Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement
- Community Education
- Personnel Recognitions
- Key Accomplishments - 2024
- Into 2025 and Beyond
A message from the Fire Chief, Dustin Kalis
For your Lake Elmo Fire Department, 2024 has been a key year in our
department’s history. This past year allowed department staff to settle into
our new central station while fully adjusting to our new shift -based,
combination staffing model of full-time and paid-on-call staff.
While providing the highest level of emergency response is our priority, and
primary mission, the opportunities for educating, reducing risk, and fostering positive interactions and
connections with our community are most important to our firefighters. We are so fortunate to be able to
support and participate in community events like the 4th of July Kids Parade, Lake Elmo Night Out, Light
Up Lake Elmo and our own Fire Department Open House. I believe that during events like these is where
we make the biggest impact for our community.
We receive such a strong level of support from our residents, city council and administration. With that
support, comes high expectations. Your Lake Elmo Fire Department strives each day to ensure we are
doing everything we can to meet, and hopefully exceed, those expectations.
With this year’s annual report, we provide clear and accurate data that provides us the basis to make
planned and informed decisions regarding our service today and into the future. We will remain
committed to providing the best possible service to community of Lake Elmo.
- Proudly Serving Neighbors & Friends
Introduction and Purpose
The City of Lake Elmo, Minnesota is a second ring/emerging suburb of Saint Paul. The Fire Department was established
in 1957 and currently serves a population (2024) of approximately 14,033 residents. Services provided by the Fire
Department include Fire Suppression, Rescue, Emergency Medical Services, Code Enforcement, Community Education
and Risk Reduction.
The intent of this document is to provide clear and accurate data pertaining to the functions of the Lake Elmo Fire
Department. Its primary audience is the residents of the City of Lake Elmo, its City Council, and all those interested in
learning about our operations.
This document includes information related to emergency responses, staffing, training, department fleet, and other
critical data that Fire Department staff utilize on a regular basis to determine the effectiveness of your Fire Department.
All information included herein is considered public data and, in accordance with the request of the City Council, some
of which is reported on a quarterly basis.
PUBLIC SAFETY Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 2024 2023 2022
FIRE - Number of Fire/Rescue/EMS Responses: 264 270 305 298 1137 1047 791
FIRE - Number of Fire Inspections: 142 146 192 97 577 649 514
FIRE - Average Fire/Rescue Per 1,000 Residents (14,100 pop): 6.32 6.87 10.99 8.23 32.41 9.95 5.89
FIRE - Average EMS Incidents per 1,000 Residents (14,100 pop): 12.41 12.27 10.64 12.91 48.23 17.28 9.99
FIRE - Average Alarm to Enroute time in minutes: 1.28 1.1 1.24 1.38 1.25 3.07 n/a
FIRE - Average Alarm to Arrival time in minutes: 7.53 6.5 7.29 7.97 7.32 10.62 n/a
FIRE - Staffed turnout time within 90 seconds (Fire/Rescue) %: 52% 49% 47% 72% 55.00% y n/a
FIRE - Staffed turnout time within 60 seconds (EMS) %: 70% 79% 56% 41% 61.50% y n/a
Information as presented to the City Council in the Quarterly Report.
History of the Lake Elmo Fire Department
The Lake Elmo Fire Department was established in March 1957 by a group of community activists who
realized the necessity for the village to have its own fire protection. A volunteer fire department was
established, and a fire station was built downtown. The need became furthermore apparent as the siren
blew and calls for service steadily increased. In the years that followed many changes impacted the fire
department including the addition of medical and rescue calls.
History Highlights
• 1957 - 38 volunteers establish the fire department; Ed Kramer is named Fire Chief.
• 1981 - The department purchases its first Ladder truck, a 50ft tele squirt boom.
• 1986 - The department opens Station 2 on Jamaca Avenue North.
• 1990 – Dick Sachs is appointed Fire Chief and would serve a total of 43 years with the department.
• 2000 - Greg Malmquist is appointed as the first full-time Fire Chief.
• 2006 - The department moves Station 2 to the Public Works site, further North on Jamaca.
• 2007 – The department celebrated its 50-year anniversary.
• 2015 – The department replaced its 1981 Ladder truck after 34+ years of service.
• 2020 - Dustin Kalis is appointed as the second full-time Fire Chief.
• 2023 - The original 1957 Station 1 and Station 2 are closed, the Central Fire Station is opened.
• 2023 - The staffing model is updated to include 24/7 career firefighters on duty.
Jeremy Penman
Captain – Paid on Call
Michael Schwarz
Captain – Paid on Call
1 Lieutenant – Paid on Call
6 Engineers – Paid on Call
20 Firefighters – Paid on Call
Gold Shift
2 Firefighters - Career
Black Shift
2 Firefighters - Career
The fire department is administered by a career Fire Chief
and Assistant Fire Chief, who are responsible for day-to-
day operations. The remaining command staff consists of
two paid on call Captains and one paid on call Lieutenant.
The department operates using a combination model of
career and paid on call staff.
Paid on call staff work scheduled shifts and supplement
the career schedule working as a crew member and filling
open shifts.
In total, the department roster consists of 37 personnel
(8 career, 29 paid on call).
Red Shift
2 Firefighters - Career
Dustin Kalis
Fire Chief
Anthony Svoboda
Assistant Fire Chief / Fire Marshal
Administration and Organization
58 0
681
122 47 55 107 66 1
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Responses by Type -2024 Actual
462 541 554 568
791
1047 1137
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Responses by Year -2018 -2024
Operations - Emergency Response Overall
1,137
RESPONSE INCIDENTS
Calls for service in 2024 represent an 8.6% increase in call volume compared to the year prior.
Annually, the department has seen an 17% average call volume increase for the last five years.
Operations – Emergency Response Overall
A
F
E
D
C
B
The “heat map” is a great tool that helps your
fire department gauge the areas of the city
where incidents are most likely to happen.
This map shows all incident locations in our
city and their frequency. Red boundaries
indicate a high volume of incidents. Some
emerging neighborhoods are shown in yellow
and orange.
Points of Interest:
These points of interest in our city highlight our response
profile and the variety of incidents and locations throughout
the jurisdiction.
A: Highway 36 (Intersections) – 102 incidents
B: “Old Village” (Downtown, Arbor Glen, Fields) – 258 incidents
C: Cimarron / Oak-Land Middle School– 147 incidents
D: Park Reserve (Trails, Boat Launch, Camps) – 36 incidents
E: Hudson Boulevard (The Springs, Boulder Ponds, High Point
Surgery, HealthPartners, Holiday Inn) – 363 incidents
F: Hidden Bay/Tri Lakes Area – 120 incidents
1
1
1
4
4
7
8
31
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Chimney (No Extension)
Fuel Burner
Trash/Rubbish
Cooking (No Extension)
Dumpsters
Vehicles
Brush/Grass
Structures
Fire Supression Incidents -2024
Upper Left: Brush Fire on 10th ST.
Upper Right: RV Fire within LE Park Reserve.
Lower: Structure Fire in Newport.
Operations – Fire Suppression
Overall, the fire department’s response to “fires” remains relatively low, compared to other incident
types across the city. Fire incidents include structure fires, vehicle fires, brush fires, chimney fires, and
all situations where suppression equipment is used. In 2024, the fire department responded to 58 fires.
1
1
2
2
3
9
93
0 20 40 60 80 100
Extrication from Structure
Locked In
Water/Ice Rescue
Search for Person
Animal Rescue
Extrication from Vehicle
Vehicle Accident/Crash
Rescue Incidents -2024 Top: Vehicle Accident
with Extrication at
Hudson Blvd and LE Ave.
Bottom: vehicle
Accident with Extrication
and Fire at LE Ave and
50th St.
Operations – Rescue
Within the profile of the city, a network of state and county highways increases the risk of vehicle
accidents. Vehicle accidents, as well as other special and technical rescues, make up the Rescue
response profile of our overall response totals. In 2024, the department responded to 110 rescue
incidents.
1
1
1
2
5
6
13
15
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Building Collapse
Overheated Motor
Lightning Strike
Spill
Carbon Monoxide
Arcing Electical (No Fire)
Gas Leak (Natual or LPG)
Power Line Down
Hazardous Conditions Incidents -2024
13 7101416 26 55 67
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Defective Elevator
Police Matter
Controlled Burning
Hazmat Investigation
Smoke Scare
Public Service
No Incident Found
Cancelled En Route
False Fire / CO Alarm
Service Call Incident -2024
Operations – Hazardous Conditions
Hazardous condition incidents encompass a large variety of emergency and non -emergency incidents
that include gas leaks, power lines down, electrical issues, and suspected hazardous materials
incidents. In 2024, the department responded to 44 hazardous conditions incidents
Operations – Public Service, Good Intent, and False Alarms
Public Service, Good Intent, and False Alarms calls equate to the rest of the response profile (excluding
medical emergency). These calls include instances where we were dispatched then cancelled enroute,
instances where we were dispatched to a location but couldn’t find a problem, unauthorized burning (no
suppression), and a handful of other service type calls. Good Intent calls include responses where
someone believed there was an emergency but there was not. False Alarms play a crucial role in
reporting, considering that we expect them to be legitimate emergencies until proven not.
183
134
76
58
38 34 32 21 21 15 13 13 12 12 12 10 10 5 4 4 3 2 1 1 1
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200 Emergency Medical Incidents -2024
Operations – Emergency Medical Services
In 2024, 63% of the incident responses made by the fire department were medical in nature.
All fire department staff are minimally certified as Emergency Medical Responders. Currently 22 of our
37 personnel are certified as Nationally Registered EMT’s, including all of our career staff.
The fire department provides Basic Life Support care.
63
652
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Arrived After Ambulance
Arrived Before Ambulance
Fire Department Arrival at EMS -2024
Operations – Emergency Medical Services
Paramedic Ambulance and Advanced Life Support transport is provided by Lakeview Health Emergency
Medical Services (EMS).
Lakeview EMS supports ambulances with two paramedics and provides service to the City of Lake Elmo
for all medical emergency calls for service. Ambulances are dispatched by a separate service after
emergency calls are received at the 911 center. After dispatch, the ambulance r esponds into Lake Elmo
from one of its three bases. A Lakeview EMS Ambulance is not stationed in Lake Elmo.
Depending on the location of the ambulance, the fire department often arrives at the scene of a medical
emergency before the paramedics.
In 2024, the fire department arrived at the scene of a medical emergency 652 times before the
ambulance of the 715 total medical calls.
The fire department arrived before the ambulance 91% of the time in 2024.
114 127
233 266 233
164
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
00:00 -
04:00
04:00 -
08:00
08:00 -
12:00
12:00 -
16:00
16:00 -
20:00
20:00 -
00:00
Incidents by Time of Day -2024
160 153
190 174
156 159 145
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
Incidents by Time of Day -2024
Operations – Response Times and Figures
In 2024, approximately 80.6 of every 1,000 people in Lake Elmo dialed 911 in need of the fire
department.
The average alarm to enroute time was 1.25 minutes in 2024.
A critical factor in our response which cannot be changed, based on the current location of the fire
station, is the time from enroute to the arrival of the first apparatus to the dispatched address.
Geography reflects the drivability of our city and the time it takes to go from Point A to Point B. The City of
Lake Elmo and our response area spans 25 square miles.
The average travel time to an incident was 7.49 minutes in 2024.
244
3
4
3
Aid Received -2024
STILLWATER OAKDALE MAHTOMEDI
WOODBURY BAYPORT
4
3
3
1
1
1
12
4
22
0 5 10 15 20 25
BAYPORT
COTTAGE GROVE
LOWER ST CROIX VALLEY
MAPLEWOOD
NEWPORT
NORTH SAINT PAUL
OAKDALE
STILLWATER
WOODBURY
Aid Given -2024
Operations – Aid Given and Received
Your fire department plays a critical role in supporting neighboring agencies. In return, the same support
is received when requested. Mainly, aid is given and received for larger scale incidents, such as structure
fires. Lake Elmo has automatic aid agreements with neighboring fire departments for structure fires and
vehicle accidents along Highway 36 (Stillwater).
The fire department utilized aid agreements 85 times in 2024.
Of those 85 times, 38 were for instances of aid requested in Lake Elmo. The fire department provided aid
51 times outside of the city.
Utility 1 – 2024 Chevrolet Silverado
In 2024, the fire department continued to implement the vehicle
replacement process. As noted, the department was pleased to place in
service Utility 1. This new vehicle will provide crew response, support on
emergency incidents and general department use. This also provides the
department with an additional vehicle that can be used for towing and
hauling. The open pickup bed will allow for the safe hauling of dirty,
contaminated fire hose, equipment and turnout gear following incidents.
The fire department continuously evaluates the reliability of our
equipment. In 2024 key purchases made it possible to upgrade our fire
hose nozzles, acquire additional battery powered extrication equipment,
purchase additional sets of turnout gear, and replacement gear washers.
New turnout gear washer/extractors
Operations – Equipment and Fleet
The fire department maintains a fleet of emergency vehicles and equipment which serve the department
for various lengths of time.
Age of Fleet - 2024
Engine 1 1 year of service
Ladder 1 9 years of service
Rescue 1 6 years of service
Rescue 2 Retired in 2024
Tender 1 4 years of service
Tender 2 17 years of service
Brush 1 2 years of service
Brush 2 20 years of service
Utility 1 New in 2024
UTV 15 years of service
Chief 1 Tahoe 3 years of service
Chief 2 Durango 1 year of service
Boat 1 year of service
Training - Overview
Lake Elmo Firefighters participate in regularly scheduled training events, typically on Monday evenings.
Training topics are based on the Minnesota Board of Fire Training and Education standards. All
firefighters, regardless of career or paid on call, are held to the same standards.
116 4,212
Training Events Personnel Hours
Within the scope of training, your fire department participated in quarterly Emergency Medical
certification training. These classes are supported in house by two Regions Hospital EMS Education
certified fire department staff.
Additionally, we sent three new recruits to the Ramsey County Fire Academy. These recruits were
successful in completing all the necessary training and certifications to become licensed firefighters.
Water Rescue and Boat Training on Lake Elmo – Summer 2024 Confined Space / SCBA Training – Spring 2024
Ice Rescue Training on Lake Elmo – Winter 2023/2024 Brush Fire / Wildland Training at Lake Elmo Park Reserve – Fall 2024
Training – Washington County Fire Rescue Dive Team
In 2024, your Lake Elmo Fire Department allocated resources and staff to assist with the Washington
County Fire Dive team. The team is supported by Washington County fire departments to aid in the
search and rescue during water and ice emergencies throughout the county.
Captain Mike Schwarz, Firefighter Brian Talcott, Firefighter Joe Hathaway, and Firefighter Adam Lembrich
are the department’s current divers. Other fire department staff are trained in various support positions.
Training
Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education Reimbursement
The Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education's (MBFTE) mission is to promote excellence in
the fire service by funding standardized training and through the licensing of Minnesota firefighters.
The MBFTE is funded by the Minnesota Fire Safety Account, which was created by the Minnesota State
Legislature in 2006 to hold revenue from a fire safety insurance surcharge on homeowner and some
commercial insurance policies. The MBFTE provides every fire department a training reimbursement
award as a supplement for training and education based on the departments roster size.
In FY2024, your fire department received $14,879.75 in reimbursement awards for
firefighter training and education. Since 2014, the department has received $101,694.08
in training reimbursement through this program!
266
110
14 5 13 2
110
57
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Inspections by Type -2024
36 2
326
548
649
577
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Inspections by Year -2024 Actual
Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement
The purpose of the fire prevention program is to promote fire safety, provide education, and (when necessary) enforce
codes and ordinances. Since the inception of the inspections program in 2021, the fire department has continued to
maintain our records system to accurately represent the building and business profile of the city, inspect all
commercial occupancies, and regulate established guidelines for ongoing growth in the city.
The fire department also spends a considerable amount of time reviewing construction plans for new developments
and buildings. Taking time ahead of the project to review the process reduces the potential for problem areas in the
future. Specifically, the department focuses on access, sprinkler/alarm systems, hydrant placement, addressing, and
layout.
Preschool Visit – Growing Explorers
Fire Department Open House
4th of July Kids Parade
Light Up Lake Elmo
Community Education & Events
The fire department participated in several community education events in 2024. The Fire Department
continues to support the 4th of July Kids Parade, Lake Elmo Night Out, Light Up Lake Elmo. We hosted our annual
Open House speaking engagement with Lake Elmo Elementary students for Fire Prevention Week.
Firefighter
Robin Goodspeed #93
Retired
14 Years of Service
Chaplin
Richard Glanzer
Retired
11 Years of Service
Support Services
Richard Sachs, Jr. #60
Retired
27 Years of Service
Personnel Recognition – Retirements
Last year, we celebrated these individuals on their retirements from the Lake Elmo Fire
Department. Their service and dedication to “Proudly Service Neighbors & Friends” was
demonstrated through their many years of service to our community.
Personnel Recognition – Years of Service Awards
The Lake Elmo Fire Department is proud to recognize these individuals who achieved years of
service accomplishment milestones in 2024 with our department.
Many of your Lake Elmo Firefighters started their fire service careers outside of our fire department.
Those that celebrated overall fire service milestones in 2024 are listed below:
Jeremy Penman – 25 Years Dustin Kalis - 20 Years Matt Watt – 15 Years
Nate Wagner – 10 years Joe Hathaway - 5 Years
Wole Awoyinka #109
Firefighter / EMR
5 Years of Service
Bret Anderson #111
Engineer
5 Years of Service
Nate Wagner #103
Firefighter / EMT
5 Years of Service
Personnel Recognition – Appointments
Andrew Lilly #136
Appointed to:
Firefighter/EMT
Nick Rosenberg #139
Appointed to:
Firefighter/EMT
Jordan Thone #138
Appointed to:
Firefighter/EMT L to R: Andrew, Jordan, and Nick at their Live Burn Training event. March 2024
Brian Chapman #126
Appointed to:
Firefighter/EMT - Career
FST Fire Suppression Donation:
In April, Lake Elmo Fire Department received a
donation of two Fire Suppression Tool (FST)
devices from the Lake Elmo Rotary and St. John’s
Masonic Lodge #1. The tools are kept in the two
Chief’s vehicles.
Donations and Grants
Throughout the year, the fire department was awarded several grants and received many generous
donations. We are very fortunate to receive such strong support from our community.
CenterPoint Energy Community Safety Grant:
Proceeds funded a FAST Board, used for quick
rescues from buildings or water.
Key Accomplishments – 2024
The fire department is proud of the work that we have done in 2024. Of those
accomplishments, we wish to highlight the following:
• Hosted our first Open House at our new station. This event allowed us to showcase the
dangers of kitchen grease fires and demonstrated the importance of sleeping with your
bedroom door closed.
• Placed into service two new apparatus: Boat 1 and Utility 1.
• Recruited 8 new paid-on-call staff to supplement the duty shift, backfill open positions,
and respond to large scale incidents. Recruiting and retaining area residents to serve as
paid-on-call firefighters will continue to be a priority for our operations.
• Added the necessary equipment and staff training to fully support the Washington
County Fire Dive team.
Into 2025 and beyond…
As we look into 2025, your fire department remains committed to serving the community in
the best of our capabilities. Our main priority for 2025 is to maintain the level of service you
expect. To fulfill our commitment to service, we are looking forward to these upcoming goals:
• Updates to our equipment maintenance system, which includes the installation of an
equipment decontamination machine. This will help reduce our exposure to cancer
causing carcinogens.
• Facilitating community CPR, AED and fire extinguisher training classes to our residents
and businesses.
• A Fire Department Open House focusing on our public safety partners and risk
reduction.
• Community Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarm replacement program in
partnership with the Red Cross and Washington County.
Photo Credit: LEO A DALY and Tom Grady Photography