Eagan swears in Holly Mulholland as fire chief; two firefighters sworn in

Holly Mulholland was sworn in as Eagan’s fire chief during the City Council’s May 19 meeting, and the council also administered oaths to firefighter Brandon Ramirez and Captain Eric Purvis.

Mulholland was introduced by city staff as having more than 17 years of fire-service experience, including leadership roles in Rochester and oversight of a $23,000,000 department budget. After the oath was administered by City Clerk Beth Van Hoos, Mulholland told the council she was “committed to using data and best practices to guide our work and to strengthening a team that is capable, connected, and resilient.”

Chief Mulholland thanked public safety partners, department staff and her family, and said she looked forward to pursuing best practices and optimizing services to meet community needs. She also acknowledged the sacrifices first responders’ families make and said the department will continue focusing on operational excellence and collaborative partnerships.

The council then presided over two additional swearing-in ceremonies. Firefighter Brandon Ramirez was pinned by his mother and recited the oath of office. Captain Eric Purvis, who joined the Eagan Fire Department in August 2023 and was promoted in February, received his oath after staff noted his work as a field training officer and member of the Dakota County Special Operations team. Staff said Purvis was recently named Minnesota American Legion Firefighter of the Year for 2025–26.

Mayor and council members congratulated the new chief and the appointees, and the meeting moved on to the consent agenda after brief remarks.