Five Decades Of Firefighting

Mike Richardson’s family is deeply ingrained in the .

His father, Cal Richardson, was one of the department’s founders. Two of his brothers, Dan and Tom, put in more than 20 years apiece. (His children are with fire departments elsewhere in Minnesota.)

And at the Woodbury Fire Department, that sense of family extends beyond bloodlines.

“The people that pass through those doors are like family,” said Richardson, 52, the department’s Emergency Services Commander. “For me, this is kind of like a family reunion.”

The fire department will mark its 50th anniversary this year, and though the official date of its formation was June 7, 1961, it will celebrate the milestone with numerous events during this weekend’s .

The department’s , and change—from its size to its equipment and the number of stations—has been the one constant over the years.

The Woodbury FD has grown along with the city, Richardson said. Calls to the department used to come in on “red phones” to the wives of firefighters, and a phone tree was used to contact responders. The department responded to 13 calls in 1963 (the first year available). In 2010, that number was 3,277.

As the 50th anniversary grew near, the old photos, badges and mementos put together by a steering committee provided glimpses into its past.

“It’s neat to look back at that kind of stuff and wrap your arms around it,” he said. “You get a flavor for what those guys have gone through.”

The department has always relied on volunteers and it’s still a “combination” fire department today, comprised of full-time staff and paid-on-call firefighters.

The Woodbury Fire Department has never lost a firefighter while battling a blaze. One firefighter, Donald Juenemann, was killed on Christmas Eve in 1997, and he will be honored this weekend.

There have been five fatalities in fires over the years, and Richardson recalled them quickly during an interview with Patch on Tuesday.

Four of the deaths occurred during intentional fires related to murder-suicides, he said.

The other death to a citizen happened while a resident was fighting a fire in his basement the mid-1970s. That incident also stuck in the mind of Jerry Rosendahl. He responded to the call—one of his first.  

Rosendahl served on the Woodbury FD from 1974-81 and is now the state fire marshal.

He said he developed lifelong friends during his time here and will be back this weekend to and softball and enjoy the celebration.

“Just being around some of the old-timers—like myself,” said Rosendahl, 61.

Firefighters develop such close ties because of the team nature of the job, Rosendahl said. There’s a trust that develops as they work together and face danger as a group, he said.

Today, the Woodbury Fire Department has about 90 firefighters , about 70 of those paid-on-call. Eighty percent of the calls the department receives are medical in nature and the FD fights about a dozen major structure fires a year.

Looking back on 50 years, Richardson said it’s impressive to see how far the department has come.

“It’s been a very busy journey,” he said.

The 50th anniversary committee is trying to get the first engine the department had for . The department hopes to pull it for the parade.

Events kick off with the golf tournament on Friday and will continue Saturday with softball at .

Saturday will also feature and a “very impressive” kitchen fire simulation at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., Richardson said.

There will also be an open house at the main station that evening.

Sunday’s events include a parade unit and dinner for Woodbury FD alumni.