Maple Grove Fire-Rescue Welcomes New Fire Chief
Maddison Zikmund stepped into the role as fire chief for the Maple Grove Fire-Rescue in mid-March.
“Opportunities is what drove me for this position,” says Zikmund. “I was not looking to leave my current city or post, but frankly when the job posting became available, I began exploring those opportunities, and that’s what really drove me to look into Maple Grove.”
Extensive Fire Fighting Experience
Zikmund may be new to the city, but not to the profession.
He started at Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department as a full-time firefighter and a volunteer.
Zikmund rose through the ranks and became the assistant chief in late 2020.
In 2020, he went to work for Fridley Fire Department.
“I left and was fortunate enough to be selected as the fire chief for the city of Fridley, where I served as the fire chief until I came here a month ago,” said Zikmund.
Ready to Get to Work in Maple Grove
Chief Zikmund is ready to use his past experiences to make positive changes in the city.
“It’s different every single day, but to provide resources, to break down barriers, to connect people, connect departments, and how can we leverage our people, our most important asset, each and every day,” said Zikmund.
Although he’s only been on the job for a short time, Chief Zikmund has already gotten a good sense for the fire department’s high level of commitment.
“There’s outstanding staff here both on our full-time regiment, some that are newer, some that have been here many years,” said Zikmund. “But the mix is what keeps us going and what is going to keep us driving forward, and then a really robust paid on-call cadre of firefighters, and again some that are brand-new and some that have been here 25-30 years. And nearly 100 of those folks, which is unheard of today.”
Chief Zikmund says he is also looking forward to being part of the vibrant Maple Grove community that shows up for its neighbors.
“I’ve seen a dynamic and passionate group of homeowners, business owners, civic organizations that are engaged in city government, which is decreasing, I would say, in recent years. And those that want to help, whether they’re giving time, they’re giving energy, donations, service, whatever the case might be, we have a lot of different civic organizations that engage with our different departments on a day-to-day basis and want to give,” he said.
Zikmund is stepping into his new role at a pivotal time for the department.
Maple Grove Fire-Rescue is celebrating 50 years of dedicated service this year.
