Committee: Public Education Committee

Contact: Tom Pitschneider, Chair – [email protected]

2023 Mission: The mission of the Public Education Committee is to support the safety education process of the fire service and communities of Minnesota in order to reduce the loss of life and property from preventable events through the use of technology, information, and resources.

2023 Report: 
As we move forward in 2023, it has been a rebuilding year for the Public Education Committee. We continue to work on several projects to enhance fire safety education and community risk reduction. These include the annual poster contest and our next tool kit for young adults with tips on moving out to college or a first residence.

The Kitchen Fire Safety Live Demonstration Units have remained a great asset to the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association (MSFCA) and are available to members for rent. The units demonstrate what happens when you add water to a grease fire. Utilizing one inch of grease in a pan, the fire extends out of the unit when one cup of water is poured into the pan. This provides a strong visual message on the dangers of kitchen fires and what can happen when water is used instead of some type of lid. Both trailers are regularly rented throughout the summer months. One unit is housed at the Ramsey Fire Department, and the second is at the Maple Grove Fire Department. Please reserve one of the units by utilizing the links on the MSFCA website.

We hope to see you at the annual MSFCA conference in Duluth. Please reach out to the committee or contact the office with any questions.

2023 Public Education Committee Members:

• Chair: Tom Pitschneider, Fire Marshal, Shakopee

• Jeremy Berger, Fire Education Specialist/Fire Inspector/Public Educator, Maple Grove

• Tom Brace, National Fire Sprinkler Association Darrin Bramwell, Deputy Chief, Eagan

• Bob Hampton, Lieutenant, St. Louis Park David Jensen, Deputy Chief, Hugo

• Wayne Kewitsch, Fire Chief (Ret.), Richfield

• Eric Lind, Fire Inspector, Maple Grove

• Jake Lindquist, Inspector, State Fire Marshal Division Jeff Lundquist, Battalion Chief – Community Relations, Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View

• Jeff Smith, Deputy Chief of CRR/Deputy Fire Marshal, Elk River

• Amanda Swenson, Chief Deputy, State Fire Marshal Division

• James Van Eyll, Fire Chief, Orono

• Eric Zimmerman, Director, Mdewakanton Public Safety

There are also numerous other non-association (non-voting) members of the committee.

Public Education Committee File Library