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INTRODMJ�GTION he Leaguc of Women Voters RoMar�I each year selects a topic for in-deptE� study_ At the "Lively Issues" meet- ing of the Leagtie of Women Voters RoMaFH in Janu��ry of 2002, and again at the Annual Mccting in May 2002, the membership voted to examine haw the function of the Roseville Fire lleparlmcnt might chan�e in the future. !1 proposal recently made by the Rascvitle Fire Chief was one focus of the study. In addition, it was apparent that the Fire Department was having diffi- culty rccruiting new voluntccrs. The League of Women Voters com- mittee met with the Firc Chief, the Assistant Fire Chief, the Police Chief, the City Manager, the Finance Director, representatives from Allina (the current provider of a.mbulance service to Roseville), and volunteer fireiighters, both cur- re�tly serving and retired. Th..i.s rcport is the result of a ycar of m.onthly meetings and backgrou►�d research by cammittee members_ This study pertains to the Roseville Fire Department and some related services. All committee members live in Roseville. HIST�RY OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVIGES he Firc Department of lhe Cily of Roseville was estabtished in late 1944 when the Rose Township Civil Defense organization was being deactivated during thc fina] months of World War II. By the end of 194.5, George Reiling (an early resi- dent and ]and owner) was author- i�ed to build a fire slation addition to his GMC-Oldsmabilc sales and service garage at Lexington Avenue and old County Road C(currently Woodhill Drive). According to Roseville—The Story of Its Growth, when Roseville was incor- porated in 1948, there were 25 vol- unteer fircfighters. At that lime, the population of Roseville was 4,589, of which 2,700 were school-age children. By 1957, Roseville's pop- ulation was approximately 22,000; there were 22 volunteer firefighters, all first-aid crair�ed. At that time two station wagon "atx�bulances" werc staffed by 21 part-time police offi- cers and the city owned one patrol car. In 1965, the League c>r Women Voters {LWV} studied the Roseville Firc Dcpartment and Yolice Departmcnt. Notes from the LWV hislorical file show that in 1965 there were 32 fire�ghters, all volun- teers. Most at thcse men lived in Roseville; all �vere trained in first- aid. The departmcnt averaged one call per day. There was one fire sla- tion in existence. Private trash burn- ing was allowed and grass/brush burning was allowcd by permit. There was a need for volunteers who worked at night and were at home during the day to be available fior calls. History sho�ws that in l 96 l, the Police Department still League of Women Voter RoMaFH 1 Roseville Fire �epartment 2003 & Seyond