RICHFIELD
COMMUNITY GUIDE 2025
Fire department under new leadership
Always ready with a rapid response to emergency calls, the Richfield Fire Department continues its longstanding tradition of service under new leadership this year.
As of this summer, the department’ s new chief is Jenell Brooks, a 15-year member of the department. Brooks succeeded Mike Dobesh, whose three-year tenure capped a 29- year career that included 13 years in Richfield.
The Richfield Fire Department is staffed by three crews of full-time firefighters and operates out of two stations. Station No. 1 opened in 2011, Station No. 2 went through major renovations in 2013.
In 2024 the department responded to 5,081 calls for service, approximately 75 % of which are medical calls. The department’ s response time averages approximately 3 minutes.
All Richfield firefighters are emergency medical technicians, and several department members serve on the regional search-and-rescue team, Minnesota Task Force 1. The department provides further assurance to residents by hosting monthly car seat checks with Children’ s Minnesota, providing necessary inspections for homes and businesses and connecting with schools for fire safety.
To keep those who live and work in the city safe from fire and other hazards, the Richfield Fire Department asks people to adhere to the following guidelines:
Make sure your house has large, visible address numbers. Keep fire hydrants near your home clear of snow in the winter. Devise a family escape plan including a meeting place. Regularly test your smoke detectors and change the batteries twice per year. Install a carbon monoxide detector and regularly check the batteries. Get to know your neighbors so that you can help each other in the event of an emergency.
Contain recreational fires to a fire pit or enclosure made of non-combustible materials that are no more than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height. Keep recreational fires at least 25 feet from any structure.
Richfield Fire Station No. 1 6700 Portland Ave.
Richfield Fire Station No. 2 6401 Penn Ave.
richfieldmn. gov / fire 612-243-4500
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