Brooklyn Center Fire Department Celebrates 75 Years With Special Events All Year
Brooklyn Center Fire Department’s latest $1.3 million marvel, a 100-foot tower truck parked inside West Fire Station, rests between calls not far from two relics of a more humble beginning: two donated horse-drawn fire response wagons donated from the old farm belonging to Earle Brown.
It’s that history–and so much more–that the city and the department mark this year, 75 years since the formation of the department.
Brooklyn Center Fire Department Engine 5 leaves the West Station for a call on Monday, January 8.
“Minneapolis fire provided fire service to the village of Brooklyn Center back then,” said Chief Todd Berg, who started as a firefighter with the city more than 30 years ago. “In 1949, Minneapolis wanted $8,000 to provide fire service to the village, and back then Brooklyn Center leaders came together and said let’s make our own fire department.”
The group of white men who are recognized with photos in the lobby as charter members of the department all worked for free, and didn’t even earn any pension for their efforts. Now, the 20 men and women of varied backgrounds earn hourly pay and pensions, working alongside five full-time staff including Berg.
“When we come together at a fire emergency or say a medical emergency, we all do the same job and we work together well and we get the job done,” said Berg. “Community’s a huge part, because everyone on this fire department is from our community. You have to live within eight minutes of either of the two fire departments to be a firefighter, so we are community.”
To commemorate the 75th anniversary, Berg said firefighters will wear special shirts with specially-designed logos. The department will also bring back COVID pandemic-era birthday party drive-bys.
“It was a big hit during COVID, us just driving by and throwing on the lights and sirens real quick,” he said.
Berg also announced plans for a community open house at the West Fire Station in September, to allow the community to come in and see the apparatus up-close, also a first since the pandemic began.
“Everyone’s had to evolve through the years to get to where we are today,” said Berg. “This is a fire department that I’m very proud of.”
