Duluth Fire Department

Duluth Fire Department protects Minnesota's Lake Superior port city, responding to structure fires, technical rescues, hazardous-materials incidents, and swift-water and rip-current emergencies along the harbor and North Shore. Beyond emergency response, the department's Life Safety division administers rental-housing licensing and fire-code compliance citywide, reflecting a mission built as much on prevention as on suppression.

The department's history stretches back more than a century, documented in "Fire and Ice," a book written by Duluth firefighters tracing the agency from its earliest paid crews through modern apparatus and staffing changes, including a 2019 milestone when Duluth Fire hired its first female chief-level officer.

Fire Chief Shawn Krizaj, who was selected as deputy fire chief in 2016 before rising to the top job, now leads a department that continues to expand its community programs, including car-seat safety checks, station tours, and home-fire-safety campaigns, alongside its core structural, EMS, and rescue response.

Duluth Fire Department recruits through a three-step process: an online recruit application and exam, a physical ability test, and a job interview. Questions about becoming a firefighter can be directed to JoinDFD@duluthmn.gov.