Coon Rapids MN Fire Department

Our annual golf fundraiser for our Fire Department Community Fund is right around the corner.

Please consider being a sponsor or just come out and golf. All the funds raised go back to the community.

All the details are below. Registration is online and now open.

We hope to see you there. ⛳️

Our last 'Summer in the City' neighborhood meeting of the year is this week! Come visit with City leaders and staff on Tuesday, July 16 from 6:30-8 p.m. at Woodview Park, 11540 Olive St.

Check out demonstrations, play games, ask questions and tour fire trucks, police cars and public works equipment. Free ice cream treats, entertainment and a prize drawing!

https://www.coonrapidsmn.gov/1310/Summer-in-the-City-Neighborhood-Meetings

Fireworks are on for 10 p.m. tonight! LET'S GO! 🎆 🎇

Consider bringing lawn chairs and rain gear. Plan ahead for wet and potentially muddy field conditions.

REMINDERS:
- Viewing areas are available on the grounds of the C**n Rapids Ice Center (11000 Crooked Lake Blvd) and at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (Mississippi Blvd & 111th Ave).
- Please be patient! Thousands of people attend the fireworks display. Follow all traffic control officers and expect departure to require extra time.
https://www.coonrapidsmn.gov/1312/4th-of-July-Community-Celebration

UPDATE @ 8 p.m.: Fireworks are on for 10 p.m. tonight!
Consider bringing lawn chairs and rain gear. Plan ahead for wet and potentially muddy field conditions.

_______
We are still watching the weather! Despite a little rain there is still a TON of FUN going on at the 4th of July Community Celebration! Firefighter bingo is happening under the tent, there are carnival rides, games, food and drinks being served. The live band is still scheduled to take the stage at 6:30 p.m.

At this time, FIREWORKS are still planned... but we will make a final decision later today. Continue to watch our social pages and www.coonrapidsmn.gov for the latest updates.

We are getting LOTS of questions about fireworks and the weather! Here is the latest info as of noon on Wednesday:

- Any decision to cancel fireworks would be made on THURSDAY, July 4.
- IF fireworks were canceled, a notice will be posted on the City of C**n Rapids Facebook, Twitter & Instagram pages, as well as on the City homepage at www.coonrapidsmn.gov, and sent out through our news flash & email subscriber lists.
- If fireworks were canceled, they would NOT be rescheduled for another time this year.
- C**n Rapids fireworks will NOT be held tonight, Wednesday, July 3.

Thank you for your patience as event planners continue to watch the weather forecast closely. Sign up for City news and email notifications at www.coonrapidsmn.gov/NotifyMe.

We had a great time engaging with the community last night at Summer in the City. Join us for the final Summer in the City on July 16th at Woodview Park.

This is a great way to learn about all the city services and community events that the City of C**n Rapids, MN - Local Government offers. Interact with city officials and city leaders representing all the city departments. There are raffles, prizes, games, and many interactive things for the entire family. Most importantly meet your neighbors and the folks that provide your city services.

Thanks everyone for coming out. We will see you next month.

Our second 'Summer in the City' neighborhood meeting is this week! Come visit with City leaders and staff on Tuesday, June 25 from 6:30-8 p.m. at Prairie Oaks Park, 1455 127th Ave.

Check out demonstrations, play games, ask questions and tour fire trucks, police cars and public works equipment. Free ice cream treats, entertainment and a prize drawing!

https://www.coonrapidsmn.gov/1310/Summer-in-the-City-Neighborhood-Meetings

Looking for something for the kids to do this summer? Check out C**n Rapids Safety Camp! The two-day camp is open to students entering 4th and 5th grade this fall and is led by the C**n Rapids Police and Fire Departments.

Learn important safety skills such as fire and electrical safety, basic first aid, 911, internet safety and more. Campers also have the opportunity to bring their bikes for hands-on learning and visit a local pool to practice water safety.

Thanks to the C**n Rapids Crime Prevention Association and the C**n Rapids Youth Hockey Association (CRYHA) for sponsoring Safety Camp!

Register here:
https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/coonrapids/activity/search/detail/721?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true

Please come join us at Culver’s this evening for a fun family event. Our firefighters and trucks will be there.
All the details are below.

See ya there.

Come out to the C**n Rapids Bike Rodeo TODAY (Saturday, June 8) at Lions C**n Creek Park. This FREE safety event runs from 10 a.m. to noon.

Kids can make their way through several safety stations and test their skills in an obstacle course. Police will properly fit your child to their bike and have helmets for sale for $10. Also, a limited number of donated bikes will be available for those who do not have one.

More info:
https://www.coonrapidsmn.gov/1419/Bike-Rodeo

The Summer-like weather has made it the perfect week for each shift to get outside for Emergency Vehicle Operations.

In this training we spent the morning in the classroom reviewing all aspects of emergency vehicle operations including policies, procedures, standards, best practices, and legalities to name a few.

Then the afternoon was spent behind the wheel practicing skills including accident avoidance, maneuvering, backing, and depth perception with all the vehicles in our fleet.

Driving emergency vehicles is a big responsibility and all of our firefighters receive ongoing and extensive training on emergency driving and the safe operation of all of our vehicles.

Today we had the privilege of raising the flag on our Aerial truck at the Memorial Day event held at the Bunker Hills Activity Center.

This annual event is to honor and remember the brave men and woman of our Armed Forces that made the ultimate sacrifice.

Thank you to Boy Scouts Troop 212 and 522, and Polaris Battalion for folding our flag after we lowered it.

Have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend but please take a moment to remember those we lost. Thank you to all that serve and have served our country. 🇺🇸

CRFD was once again happy to the raise the flag for Player Appreciation Day and the C**n Rapids-Andover Little League!!

It was a beautiful day for ball at Sand Creek Park.

Good Luck to all the players.. and parents…and umps 😀. Have a great season!

We are so proud of these amazing young women and the Miss C**n Rapids, Miss C**n Rapids Teen and Miss Anoka County Scholarship Program. The C**n Rapids Fire Department Community Fund provides a scholarship for their program.

This program inspires confidence in young ladies in our community to be their best and give back to the community they serve. It also provides scholarship opportunity to help young women reach their education goals.

Good luck at Miss Minnesota Sophia, Abigail and Sage. You have represented C**n Rapids and Anoka County well, and we look forward to cheering you on.

Shoutout to the incredible C**n Rapids Fire Department, one of the sponsors of ! 🚒🤍⭐️

Last week, these real-life superheroes took time from their busy schedule to assist us with our Miss Minnesota prep. From mock interviews to utilizing their fire station for walk and talent rehearsals, their support was so appreciated. Plus, who better to offer fitness tips than firefighters? 💪

Huge THANK YOU to for their dedication to our community’s safety and for being such fantastic partners in our journey. Thank you for everything you do!🤍✨

Come join us at Culver’s on June 10th from 4-7 pm.

A portion of the proceeds will go towards our MDA Fill the Boot campaign.

This is a family fun event. All the details are available in the flyer below.

See ya there.

Fire Marshal Todd Williams was recognized for 30 years of service to the C**n Rapids Fire Department by Chief Piper and Assistant Chief Johnston.

Congratulations Todd and thank you for your dedicated service.

Training this week is auto-extrication.
We have two Rescue trucks, in the city, that are fully equipped to handle any extrication scenario.
In this week’s training we are focusing on stabilizing and extricating a victim from a vehicle on its side. Our trucks also have airbags that can also be used in tight spaces.
We also practiced removing doors and the roof from a vehicle to access and extricate patients.
One of the photos is a picture of the battery powered ram we use to roll the dash off of a patients legs when they are entangled.
These very powerful tools are powered by battery and very portable.
You may have heard the spreader referred to as “the jaws of life.”

Thank you Northstar Towing for supplying the vehicles for this training.

Last week, Investigators from C**n Rapids Police/Fire attended the annual MNIAAI Arson Conference. Besides the daily calls for service, Police and Fire also are trained and work together to investigate all fires that occur. Granted, not all fires are arson related, but this is needed knowledge to keep up our investigation skills.

Congratulations to Retired Detective Eychaner on his well deserved "Fire Investigator of the Year" award. Brian assisted us for 12+ years of investigations.

May 4th is International Firefighters’ Day. We want to extend a huge thank you to all of our firefighters for all that they do for the community and the fire department on a daily basis. They never ask for recognition but they truly deserve it.

Nicer weather means training on the river with our boats. Reminder of the spring changing currents and floating debris on the river.

This weeks training was deploying and advancing hose-lines through a structure in teams of two. This is just one of the many techniques our firefighters practice regularly to stay proficient with their skills.

We also love this time of year when we get to bring more of our training outside.

We would like to recognize our Fire Department Administrative Assistant Shelley for all she does for our organization and the community. We appreciate the stability she always provides and her many years of service.

Congratulations to Steve “Spike” Szaflarski on
20 YEARS of service with CRFD!!

This includes his time as a Paid on Call and his current role as a career Firefighter. Asst Chief Johnston gave Steve a certificate acknowledging his service this morning. Spike has worked on the Specialized Rescue Team and as a trainer for new FF’s in his time here.

CRFD thanks you for your “gnarly” work over the last 2 decades!!