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Otsego interim fire chief outlines staffing and response concerns; council names liaisons and approves station payment
Summary
Interim Chief Mike Scott told the City Council that contracted response times can be lengthy and urged a combination staffing model; council appointed two elected liaisons to work on shared‑service talks and approved a $1,018,591.35 payment on the new fire station amid debate about costs and contract timing.
Interim Fire Chief Mike Scott told the City Council that Otsego’s recent emergency calls highlight gaps in current contracted coverage and staffing, and urged the city to continue developing its station and staffing plan.
Scott recounted a mobile‑home fire where the 9‑1‑1 call came in at 04:20 a.m.; neighboring departments were paged in stages and the first fire engine arrived about 21 minutes after the call. “At 04:23, 3 minutes into the call, Wright County called Sherburne County … At 04:25, 5 minutes after the 9‑1‑1 call, Elk River Fire is paged,” Scott said, describing the staggered paging and the 21‑minute arrival time for the first engine. He noted that every passing minute worsens an…
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