EXCERPT: “A recent study from the the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence has ranked Minnesota at 48th in the nation for fire department funding. The average state spends $420 per household, Minnesota spends less than half. Rice Lake Fire chief Mark Niemi says this isn’t a surprise. ‘Disappointed, very disheartened. It hasn’t been a secret for the last number of years that the state of Minnesota hasn’t funded the fire services like they have other public service departments,’ he says. A lack of funding and an increase in costs mean tough decisions have to be made, especially for volunteer departments. Niemi says, ‘In greater Minnesota there are departments that are really having to make those decisions on do we replace our personal protective equipment that’s been out there for 15 plus years or do we need to fix our truck.'” FULL STORY: http://bit.ly/35CcvbN
