Callaway Fire Department/Lakes Area Radio
CALLAWAY, Minn. (KFGO/Lakes Area Radio) – The City of Callaway has a new fire hall. Fire Chief Keith Heinlein and his crew say they will move the trucks and equipment on Monday, Jan. 19.
A commercial extractor and dryer are being installed, which will allow firefighters to thoroughly clean their gear after each fire.
The equipment, funded through a grant from the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office, is part of a statewide push to improve firefighter safety and reduce exposure to hazardous chemicals.
The new building also includes an upgraded air exhaust system and on-site showers to protect crews from contamination.
The fire hall project is funded entirely through revenue from charitable gambling at the city liquor store. City Clerk-Treasurer Shelly Dillon says the city saved for about five years to complete the project, so taxpayers won’t see an added cost.
Callaway’s volunteer fire department has 21 members. Dillon says that’s unusually high for a department of its size, and credits part of that growth to a 2016 train derailment and tanker explosion that forced the town to evacuate. No one was hurt, but the incident inspired more residents, especially younger adults, to join.
The department serves Callaway Township and five surrounding townships and also provides mutual aid to Becker County and the cities of Mahnomen, Ulen, Hitterdal, and Hawley.
Dillon says an open house for the public will be announced this spring.
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