Fire departments throughout Minnesota addressed concerns of firefighter shortage with state leaders, reports ABC News 5.
There are currently about 20,000 firefighters in Minnesota, with about 18,000 of them being volunteers or paid-on-call. Overall, firefighter numbers in Minnesota are down nearly 700 people in just the last five years.
It’s especially troublesome in Greater Minnesota, where there are more volunteer departments. If one isn’t fully staffed, they have to call in extra help from neighboring communities.
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