South Metro Fire

09/07/2026

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

Today, we recognize and thank the hardworking men and women who keep our communities moving forward every day.

While many are enjoying a long weekend with family and friends, our police officers, firefighters, and EMS crews are still answering the call—24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Labor Day is a reminder that every job matters, and we're proud of the dedication, professionalism, and service our members bring to work every day.

Whether you're spending the weekend at home, on the lake, around the grill, or traveling, we hope you have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day!

And to all those working today—thank you for what you do.

From our South Metro Fire family to yours, Happy Labor Day!

City of West St. Paul
City of South St. Paul, Minnesota
West St. Paul Police Department
South St. Paul Police Department
Fairview - EMS

09/06/2026

Sunday Spotlight - Leadership Spotlight: Week 3

This week, we’re highlighting Chief 3 – Deputy Chief of Prevention and EMS

While you may see our firefighters responding to emergencies, an entire team works behind the scenes to prevent them, prepare for them, and make sure we're ready when the call comes in.

Our Deputy Chief of Prevention & EMS leads two critical areas of the department: Fire Prevention and Emergency Medical Services.

From reviewing building plans and enforcing fire codes to overseeing inspections, fire investigations, pre-fire planning, and community risk reduction, the Prevention side of the job is focused on one thing: preventing fires and protecting our communities before an emergency happens.

On the EMS side, the Deputy Chief oversees training, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and our EMS program. This includes working closely with our Medical Director, EMS partners, and regional organizations to ensure our crews have the training, resources, and support they need to provide high-quality patient care.

Not every important job happens in front of a fire engine. Some of the most important work happens behind the scenes—planning, preparing, preventing, and making sure our people and our communities are ready.

The Deputy Chief of Prevention and EMS is currently held by Terry Johnson.

09/04/2026

CLOSE BEFORE YOU DOZE

Before you climb into bed tonight, take one extra step: close your bedroom door.

A closed bedroom door can help slow the spread of fire, smoke, and deadly gases, giving you and your loved ones more time to escape. The photos below, taken after a fire in West St. Paul, show just how significant that difference can be. You’ll see the extensive fire damage in the living room, the closed bedroom door located next to the living room, and the survivable space that remained behind the closed bedroom door.

The simple act of closing your bedroom door before going to sleep can create a critical layer of protection between you and a fire.

City of South St. Paul, Minnesota

08/28/2026

Back-to-School Superhero Fun!

We had a great time partnering with the West St. Paul Police Department at the Holiday Acres Superhero Back-to-School Backpack Event!

It was a fun afternoon spent connecting with kids and families, handing out fire and police department swag, and helping get everyone ready for the new school year. We love opportunities like this to build relationships with the families in our community!

A big thank you to Holiday Acres and all of the amazing community partners who helped make this event possible. We’re already looking forward to next year!

City of West St. Paul

08/23/2026

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT 🔦 - Leadership Spotlight: Week 2

This week, we’re highlighting Chief 2 – Deputy Chief of Operations

The Deputy Chief of Operations oversees the day-to-day response side of the department, ensuring fire crews have the staffing, equipment, and other resources needed to respond safely and effectively to every call. The chief’s oversight duties include scheduling, truck and equipment purchasing, maintenance and communications. This position also works closely the Dakota911 dispatch center and neighboring fire departments to ensure appropriate resources are dispatched to calls within West St. Paul and South St. Paul. Additionally, the deputy chief oversees the department special operations to ensure we are prepared to respond to water, technical rescue and hazardous materials incidents. This also involves working closely with the Dakota County Special Operations Team. On the street, the deputy chief often serves as the incident commander at structure fires and other large or complex incidents.

Internally, the Deputy Chief of Operations works closely with the fire chief to build and manage the annual budget, assist with capital planning, set annual priorities. Many support services, such as IT support also fall under this position.

Chief 2 is currently held by Deputy Chief Mark Erickson

08/21/2026

Can we find your house in an emergency?

When seconds count, clearly visible house numbers can help us find you faster!

Make sure your address numbers are:
* At least 6 inches tall
* Well-lit or reflective
* Easy to see from the street

Take a quick look at your house numbers this weekend. A small improvement could make a big difference when you need us most.

Have a great weekend and stay safe!

City of South St. Paul, Minnesota
City of West St. Paul

08/20/2026

Yesterday we had the privilege of recognizing our newest firefighters as they received their probationary badges.

Before receiving this badge, each firefighter completed 9 weeks of training in the fire academy, followed by 12 weeks in our Field Training Officer (FTO) phase. This time is spent building skills, gaining experience, learning our department, and putting the lessons from the academy into practice alongside experienced firefighters.

The probationary badge represents more than the start of a career—it represents the hard work, dedication, growth, and commitment to the communities we serve.

Congratulations to our newest firefighters!

08/19/2026

🔥 Fire Safety in Action at the Dakota County Fair! 🚒

We were proud to team up with other Dakota County fire departments to provide some hands-on fire safety education at the Dakota County Fair!

Throughout the day, we showed off fire apparatus, demonstrated what happens during a kitchen fire, and used a scaled-model house to illustrate the effects of fire flow paths and how quickly conditions can change inside a burning home.

These demonstrations are a great way to show the public what firefighters encounter during emergencies and, more importantly, provide simple lessons that can help keep families safe.

A big thank you to our fellow Dakota County fire departments for working together to make this a great community event! 🚒🔥

Know the flow path. Close the door. Get out. Stay out.

08/19/2026

We recently had the pleasure of taking several kids fishing at Seidl’s Lake in the City of South St. Paul, Minnesota. It was a great opportunity to spend time together, enjoy the outdoors, and catch a bunch of fish!

We also took some time to talk about water safety and the importance of staying safe around lakes and other bodies of water.

A big thank you to South St. Paul Parks, Recreation and Events who helped make this a fun and memorable experience for the kids!

https://youtu.be/Z4tLRC7KQzw?si=S_lKlgkywr4zGnEk

See how the South St. Paul Parks and Recreation Department partnere...