For Immediate Release – October 9, 2023
Hermantown Hires First Fire Chief of New Department
Zach Graves Set to Lead Fire Department within the Department of Public Safety
Hermantown, Minn. – Zach Graves has been hired as the Fire Chief in Hermantown as the City continues evolving from a volunteer fire department model to a new department with two full-time members and a growing number of part-time employees.
“It is both a huge honor and very exciting to be able to help lead and design the new Hermantown Fire Department,” said Graves. “We have had decades of incredible volunteers helping keep our community safe, and that’s a great foundation to build our next department.”
For more than 70 years, the Hermantown Volunteer Fire Department has served the community. As part of this process, the HVFD has taken multiple steps this year to dissolve and make way for a new model.
“We all welcome Zach to this new full-time position with the City of Hermantown, knowing that his extensive background in firefighting and emergency medical services will bring leadership and teamwork to our new Fire Department,” said Mayor Wayne Boucher. “This new department will allow us to take the next step in expanding quality emergency services to answer the increasing needs of our growing community.”
Along with Graves, the City recently opened the second full-time fire position for hire, intending to have a Fire Inspector/Training Officer in place in early November.
“We worked through a thoughtful process to determine the best model for Hermantown’s public safety needs and have the best person to lead our new Fire Department,” said Jim Crace, Hermantown’s Chief of Police. “We feel really good about moving our long-serving, dedicated volunteer department in this direction. Many of those volunteers will still be answering the same calls with the same incredible service they always have, and we can better recruit, retain, and incentivize our part-time firefighters.”
As part of the departmental changes, Crace also moves into the Director of Public Safety role, which is the organizational structure overseeing both the Police Department and Fire Department.
“We know we can build off our synergy, as both departments have always been focused on Hermantown’s safety,” said Crace. “There are efficiencies to be gained, both in terms of day-to-day efforts and long-term planning, that will benefit Hermantown greatly.”
The Hermantown Volunteer Fire Department is set to formally disband at the close of the year. Although that change is significant, most of the current volunteers will compose the initial members of the new Hermantown Fire Department on January 1, 2024.
“In some ways, this is a monumental change because of how central the Hermantown Volunteer Fire Department has been in our community,” said Graves. “In other ways, residents may not notice any difference in how our work is performed following the change – which is part of our goal. This shift, though, will allow us to continue to evolve more quickly to meet the needs of Hermantown as it continues to grow.”
Beyond the two full-time positions, the change allows better pay, retirement, and scheduling options for the part-time firefighters. As volunteer departments struggle to attract and retain viable numbers, this was a critical factor in Hermantown’s move to the new model.
“The fact that we can better pay our part-time firefighters and build schedules that let them have full lives while still providing maximum safety for the community is a huge win,” said Crace. “This will help us recruit new members to our team, and we know this model is scalable should our community continue to grow.”
Information regarding the additional new position – Fire Inspector/Training Officer – can be found on the City’s website at www.hermantownmn.com/careers.
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For more information, contact Joe Wicklund, Communications & Community Engagement Director, City of Hermantown, at [email protected] or 218.729.3614.