Press releases

Mutual aid benefits Edina, neighbors

By Marty Scheerer, Edina Fire Chief
Guest Columnist

If you happen to be at the scene of a fire call in Edina, you might be surprised to see trucks and crews from some of our neighboring cities in addition to those of our own. The extra help we receive is a direct benefit of highly effective mutual aid agreements between the Edina Fire Department and our neighbors in Hennepin County. Through “mutual aid,” we help our neighboring fire departments and they help us.

In Edina, our fire department works on a multi-alarm system. When an emergency call is placed, our dispatch center sounds an initial alarm notifying our shift firefighter/paramedics. If the call is a fire call (as opposed to a medical call) the commanding officer has the option of sounding a “First Alarm.” With just a few words to a dispatcher and the push of a button at the dispatch center, a first alarm notifies two of our closest neighbors -- the Richfield and St. Louis Park fire departments. Most actual fires result in at least a First Alarm.

Neighbors such as Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Hopkins, Minneapolis and Minnetonka are also ready to assist at all times -- depending on the number of the alarm. Farther-reaching cities like Chanhassen, Plymouth, Golden Valley, Wayzata and Excelsior can also be called if a situation becomes severe.

Many fires are small and containable, but it is nice to know that help is on its way in case it is needed. While it is easy for us to cancel a call to our neighbors if we find the extra help unnecessary, it is not as easy if we find ourselves at an apartment or commercial building fire that is beginning to burn out of control with a lack of resources. The mantra is “better safe than sorry.”

Mutual aid can also be beneficial in smaller fires. In some cases -- depending on the section of the City a call has originated from -- our neighboring departments can be the first to arrive. This helps ensure that our residents receive one of the fastest and most comprehensive responses in the metro area.

Since mutual aid is in fact mutual, we gladly return the favor. Each year, our crews go out on 30 to 40 mutual aid calls -- about as many as we receive. These calls can also be dictated by equipment. For example, if a city needs help with hazardous materials, Hopkins is the department to call. Minneapolis has the metro area’s water rescue specialists. Edina has Special Operations. By sharing these services, area fire departments are able to keep costs down.

As residents of Edina, we should thank all of our neighboring departments for their continued help. On behalf of the Edina Fire Department, I’d also like to let our neighbors know that we are here when they need us.

More info at www.CityofEdina.com/Fire or 952-826-0330.