Do you have what it takes to be a volunteer firefighter?
BLAINE, Minn. -- As the firefighter shortage continues across the state, departments that rely on volunteers are having to get creative to recruit. The Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department is making changes to put more feet in boots.
"We need people more than we've ever needed. We're down roughly 30 people right now," said Dan Retka, Fire Chief for Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department.
Retka's staffing challenges are like those across Minnesota; 97% of the state's firefighters are volunteers.
"We're having to get creative; we're having to do things that we haven't done since the existence of our fire department and opening it up to everybody," said Retka.
Firefighter Natalie Streich has been with SBM Fire for six months.
"I'm really girly, I'm really outgoing. I always that I was going to be in fashion. After college, I got a degree in marketing, sales, and social media. I got offered a job recruiting firefighters for the state of Minnesota and I accidentally recruited myself," said Natalie Streich, a firefighter & Recruitment and Retention Coordinator for Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department.
Streich, says SBM Fire, like many departments, is moving away from the volunteer model as many people aren't as willing today to give up their free time.
"We've been volunteers for the past 75 years and we're just switching to a paid position in January 2024," said Streich.
"We'll do all the training for you; we'll pay for everything. It is a physical job," said Retka.
A job that requires a phobia test and a physical agility test.
"It really is just to show that you can bend, lift, squat, drag. We just want to make sure you are up for the challenge and up for the task," said Streich.
Guiding me on the physical agility challenge, Walter Morris, an eight-year veteran of SBM Fire.
Morris walked me through the course and provided an inspirational run before it was my turn to give it a go. Morris clocked in at a time of 5:30 while I recorded a 10:57, I still was able to pass.
The firefighters hope others will give firefighting a try because while there are challenges, the rewards outweigh them.
"Helping. The positive impact on your community," said Walter Morris, firefighter and fire apparatus officer for Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department.
"Fighting a fire or pulling ducklings out of a sewer, every time you go out, you're touching somebody," said Retka.