Rosemount's Fire Station 2 Is Getting a Big Remodel & 24/7 Staffing

TLDR

• Fire Station 2 on Ailesia Avenue is getting a remodel plus additions on three sides.
• New spaces include offices, a fitness area, dorm rooms, and expanded truck bays.
• The goal: staff the station around the clock, which cuts response times by several minutes.
• The chief says a third fire station could come someday as the east side grows.

At the July 28 Rosemount Planning Commission meeting, the city approved a big upgrade to its own Fire Station 2. This one's less flashy than the aerospace complex that same night, but it might affect your daily life more directly. Here's why.

What's Getting Built

Fire Station 2 sits on about 6.4 acres off Connemara Trail and Ailesia Avenue, near the water tower and Meadows Park. The plan adds space on the east, west, and south sides of the existing building.

The new areas include firefighter offices, meeting space, an indoor fitness area, dorm rooms and quiet rooms for staff, a gear wash area, and bigger garage bays for the fire trucks. The building stays about 25 feet tall, well under the 35-foot limit for the neighborhood. It keeps its brick-and-block look while adding some newer paneling and glass.

The commission approved the site plan unanimously.

Why This Actually Matters to You

Here's the part that hits home. Right now, Rosemount runs what's called a combination department. When a call comes in, on-call firefighters often have to leave home or work, drive to the station, and then head to the emergency.

Those dorm rooms change that. Fire Chief Kip Springer explained that housing crews at the station means firefighters are already there when the call drops. That saves several minutes, and in a fire or medical emergency, minutes matter. This remodel is the first step toward a 24/7 staffed model. Nearby cities have made similar moves; Farmington's fire department recently went full-time too.

More Staff on the Way (If a Grant Comes Through)

Right now the department has three full-time staff: the chief, a deputy fire marshal, and an administrative specialist who's also a firefighter. Everyone else is paid on-call.

The city has a request in for a federal SAFER grant to bring on nine more full-time firefighters. That would put three people on shift every day. Even with the new hires, Springer said Rosemount plans to stay a combination department, not go all-career.

One fun detail: saunas and cold plunges are being considered for the new fitness area. The chief said they're a trending item with real health benefits for firefighters.

Is a Third Fire Station Coming?

A commissioner asked the question a lot of residents are wondering. Springer said a staffing study earlier this year built in a metric tied to population growth and density on the east side of town. At a certain point, that would trigger building a third station, which would also help response times. No firm date yet, but it's on the radar. For a sense of how fast the city is investing in itself, check out how Rosemount's new public works and police campus just won a national award.

The Bottom Line

The remodel is approved and moving forward. Importantly, the station stays open during construction. It'll be downsized a bit, with some trucks and staff shifting around, but it keeps responding to calls. For residents, the payoff is faster help when you dial 911. Keep an eye out for whether that SAFER grant comes through, since it decides how quickly the 24/7 staffing plan becomes real.

FAQ

Will Fire Station 2 close during construction? No. It stays operational. Crews and some equipment will shift around, and the space gets a little smaller during the work, but it keeps running.

How does this make me safer? With firefighters living at the station, they respond straight from the building instead of driving in first. That can shave several minutes off response times.

Is Rosemount hiring more full-time firefighters? They want to. There's a request in for a federal SAFER grant to add nine full-time firefighters. It's not guaranteed, it depends on the grant.

Is Rosemount getting a third fire station? Possibly, down the road. It's tied to population growth and density on the east side, but there's no set date.

Wait, saunas at a fire station? Saunas and cold plunges are under consideration for the fitness area. The chief said they're trending and have real health benefits for firefighters.

Sources: City of Rosemount — Fire Department, City of Rosemount — Fire Station No. 2, FEMA — SAFER Grant Program