Brooklyn Center Fire Dept. Looks to Recruit More Paid On-Call Firefighters

Brooklyn Center Fire Department is recruiting new paid on-call firefighters to join the ranks to supplement the twelve-hour duty crews it has in place at its east and west fire stations.

“We’re a very busy department, and we’re actually looking at different opportunities to increase that duty crew from 12 to 24 hours a day,” Fire Chief Todd Berg told CCX Cities.

The requirements for paid on-call firefighters are:

• Must be 18 or older
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must pass a background check
• Must live within an eight-minute drive of either Brooklyn Center fire station.

“We will pay for all of your education, so zero experience needed,” said Berg. “We’ll pay for all of your education, we’ll pay for your gear, and all that while, we’ll pay for you to go to that academy.”

The department was busy in 2025, responding to more than 2,400 total calls for service, with 1,370 medical calls and 1,100 fire calls. The department responded to 16 structure fires and required mutual aid from other, neighboring departments on 14 calls. Brooklyn Center firefighters responded as mutual aid to other jursidictions 34 times in 2025.

Brooklyn Center firefighters talk to elementary school students in 2024.

The department also performed more than 17,000 hours of community service in 2025, including time spent educating 1,100 elementary school students during October’s Fire Prevention Week.

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