Falcon Heights fire department shutters after more than 70 years of service

The St. Paul Fire Department will now oversee fire protection services in Falcon Heights following the dissolution of the Falcon Heights Fire Department.

According to a city newsletter, the Falcon Heights City Council voted unanimously to dissolve the department during its Jan. 13 meeting and enter into a contract with the St. Paul Fire Department.

Falcon Heights Mayor Randy Gustafson said in a statement, "I would like to thank our current and past members of the Falcon Heights Fire Department for their service to the community. The FHFD has been a paid-on-call community department since the city was formed in 1949. Many positive memories and experiences are part of the legacy of our community fire department and the people who served."

Gustafson went on to state that there were four factors that led to the decision to dissolve the Falcon Heights Fire Department: a lack of long-term viability with the paid-on-call model the city used, daytime response coverage, the loss of Lauderdale as a partner city, and the cost of operations for the department.