By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- Dayton, Minn. — As one of Minnesota’s fastest-growing cities, Dayton’s fire chief says the department is under strain and needs a ladder truck for new mid-rise apartments and large warehouses. The City Council canceled a $2.5M ladder purchase this month, saying used options and mutual aid should be considered. Firehouse
- Run volume rose 64% in three years (367 calls in 2021 → 603 in 2024), with daytime staffing gaps and volunteer burnout cited by leadership. Firehouse
- Council trimmed lower-acuity medical responses, approved up to 8 part-time firefighters in October, and is debating long-term staffing and budget models as growth accelerates. Firehouse
- Recent incidents highlight constraints, including a mobile-home community fire where limited hydrants forced tanker shuttles and a firefighter was shocked (non-life-threatening). CBS News+1
- City documents show a 5-year staffing plan (2025–2030) under discussion as Dayton plans for rapid population growth. Dayton+1
DAYTON, Minn. — The Dayton Fire Department is pushing for new resources and a structured staffing plan as call volumes climb with the city’s rapid growth, but a divided City Council this month canceled a $2.5 million ladder truck order, opting to study used alternatives and rely on mutual aid for aerial coverage in the meantime. Firehouse
In an interview carried by Firehouse from the Star Tribune, Fire Chief Gary Hendrickson said newer multistory apartments and large industrial warehouses require aerial capability the city doesn’t currently field. The ladder truck had been approved by the prior council; the reversal, firefighters said, follows a year of friction over budgets, operations and staffing. Firehouse
Department data show 367 calls in 2021 rising to 603 in 2024, stressing an on-call roster that struggles to assemble crews during weekday daytime hours when many volunteers are at work. City leaders have debated how to reduce burnout while keeping service levels acceptable for a fast-growing community. Firehouse
In recent months the council reduced responses to lower-level medical calls, approved hiring up to eight part-time firefighters on a split vote, and raised firefighter pay, while also questioning whether large capital purchases—like a new aerial—should wait. The mayor has urged a harder look at costs as the city juggles multiple priorities. Firehouse
Operational strains surfaced in September, when a fire in a mobile-home community required extensive water shuttlesbecause hydrants were sparse; more than a dozen mutual-aid companies assisted and one firefighter suffered an electrical shock and recovered. City documents indicate a five-year staffing model and additional equipment needs are under review. CBS News+2KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News+2
The growth pressures are real: regional planners and local media have flagged Dayton among the region’s fastest-growing cities, with infrastructure, public safety and staffing trying to keep pace. City officials say they want a durable plan that matches service levels to tax impacts as development continues along the Interstate 94 corridor. KARE 11+1
For now, the department continues to pursue duty-crew coverage and incremental staffing while relying on mutual aid for aerials. Firefighters and officials say they hope to lower the temperature of the debate and settle on a long-term path that supports both response reliability and fiscal constraints. Firehouse