Brooklyn Park Fire Chief Leaving for State Job

Brooklyn Park Fire Chief T. John Cunningham will soon say goodbye to the department he has led for nearly five years. 

“I am truly humbled and honored to have served as the community’s fire chief for this time,” said Cunningham. “We’ve grown this department so much and I’m so incredibly proud of the culture that we have as a fire department.”

During Cunningham’s tenure, the city’s four fire stations became fully staffed with firefighters working 24-hour shifts.

Brooklyn Park Firefighters and Staff

Chief: Brooklyn Park Fire Stations in Need of Overhaul

Cunningham has been pushing for the city to modernize its aging fire stations, which he says aren’t equipped to house around-the-clock staff.

“With what we’ve learned today about the health and safety for firefighters [like] cancer prevention, but also sleep deprivation and modern station alerting systems as well as just firefighter accommodations, being able to provide every firefighter with their own independent living quarters, especially in an environment that we want to be welcoming to everyone,” said Cunningham.

Cunningham currently serves as the president of the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association, a professional nonprofit representing more than 1,500 fire officers from across the state.

Cunningham will resign as Brooklyn Park’s fire chief in mid-March. He will then begin a new role as the assistant commissioner for the Department of Public Safety. 

Shawn Conway, Brooklyn Park’s deputy fire chief of operations, will serve as the interim fire chief.

The city is still determining a timeline for filling the position and expects to have the process finalized by mid-March.

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Brooklyn Park