It was a terribly sad reminder for Minnesotans that firefighters can face more than just dangerous flames. As we grieve, honor and memorialize those fallen, a push is underway to keep firefighters safer.

A couple of days after three Burnsville first responders — including a firefighter-paramedic — were shot and killed in the line of duty, the St. Paul Fire Foundation posted a reminder to their followers about their ‘bulletproof vest initiative.’

And shortly after that, thanks to friends and family, a St. Paul firefighter had gathered enough donations to be fitted for his own ballistic vest.

“Within four or five hours I had it fully funded,” Captain Steven Kaphing said. “That was a shock to me.”

As an EMS supervisor, Kaphing welcomed the opportunity to get the vest — his fitting came the day after the state memorialized the Burnsville first responders.

“We go on similar calls like that all the time. It can happen to any one of us,” Kaphing said.

At the SPFD, ballistic vests are not required — meaning if firefighters would like to wear them, they have to purchase them themselves.

In Brooklyn Park, this potentially life-saving equipment has been part of their gear since 2020.

“Times are changing, and we need to do whatever we can to protect our firefighters or paramedics and our police officers,” Chief Shawn Conway with the Brooklyn Park Fire Department said.

Conway says since they’ve been implemented, the vests have been welcomed by seasoned veterans to those brand new to the department.

That trend is being seen statewide, according to the president of the Minnesota State Fire Chief’s Association, Eric Bullen.

“It’s something we talk about more and more,” Bullen said.

He’s also chief for the Albertville Fire Department — he says following a fire call where the homeowner met firefighters with a gun, the department purchased ballistic vests for their crews to wear.

“I would expect to see growing numbers,” Bullen said about more departments making this safety equipment part of the gear. “We’ve had county chiefs meetings where people have asked, ‘What’s your policy on this stuff?’ So, even chiefs are taking a look at this as a department-wide initiative.”

Thanks to lawmakers, that will soon be easier for departments to do. Last legislative session, firefighters were added to the list of eligible first responders to get partially reimbursed for bullet-resistant vests — something Bullen says is a great step in the right direction.

If you’d like to help more SPFD firefighters get a ballistic vest, you can donate here — before finalizing your donation, a note can be added to include a specific firefighter you’d like your donation to go to.