Nowthen officially welcomes first firefighters

Though they have been on the job for close to a year, the founding members of the Nowthen Fire Department finally have their badges.

Fire Chief Dave Schmidt awarded badges to 11 of the initial 12 firefighters — one was not present — during a City Council meeting this month. Adam Schrag was also installed as one of the department's assistant chiefs.

"It's been a night we have been waiting for for a long time," said Mayor Jeff Pilon. "We have been in service for many months, but to see the badges go on is exciting."

Nowthen, in northwestern Anoka County, became its own department on April 26, 2021. Its first call came when a tree fell on power lines. Since then, the original 12 firefighters have responded to 186 emergencies throughout the largely rural city of about 5,000 people. Pilon thanked them for their sacrifice and dedication.

Nowthen became a city 14 years ago and had contracted with neighboring Ramsey for fire services. But rising administrative costs and different service needs in the two communities led to an amicable breakup and separate departments.

Ramsey had proposed charging Nowthen about $160,000 a year in administrative expenses, a cost the mayor felt was too much, and the city decided to go independent.

Nowthen, home to the county's last remaining dairy farm, turned to St. Francis and that city's chief to oversee the startup and head the department. St. Francis has a three-year contract with Nowthen to help with operations.

"These past couple years have been long, at times frustrating and included many long nights and frank discussion along the way," Schmidt told the City Council during the badge ceremony. To the firefighters, he said, "you have been patient, professional and committed to the successful implementation of the Nowthen Fire Department."

In recent weeks, the department has grown to 15 members with the addition of two paramedics and an EMT, said Joe Lawrence, assistant fire chief for the cities of Nowthen and St. Francis.