MANKATO, Minn. -
With tight budgets it takes a lot more than just full-time employees to run a fire department or police department. Many organizations also depend on community volunteers. The City of Mankato is no different and it's looking for more people to serve.
"They do live here this is their home," Mankato Public Safety Fire Deputy Director Jeff Bengtson said.
Four of the Mankato Fire Station 3's residents work a separate job, each night they come home where they live and volunteer their time.
"The benefit to the community is that they're not always gone, sometimes they're at home even if they're not scheduled to be here, so if there is fire and there is a page, during that time they can grab the truck or jump on the truck and respond as well," Bengtson said.
Fire Deputy Director Jeff Bengtson says with the new Pubic Safety building there will be more room to grow these homebody type volunteers. The commitment is to live in the fire station, and work at least ten nights a month. In return, room and board doesn't cost a thing.
"Anybody that's interested in the fire service and would like to take advantage of a living situation like this," Bengtson said.
If putting on forty pounds of equipment and fighting fires doesn't really sound like something you want to do, but you still want to volunteer in emergency services, the police department may have something for you too.
"They're a force multiplier is what they do," Mankato Public Safety Police Deputy Director Matt Westermayer said.
Deputy Director Matt Westermayer says the extra community enforcement benefits the department and the public. Volunteers help with traffic enforcement, crowd control and many other tasks. And it may even open doors into a paid position.
"Many of the reserve officers then go on and become licensed part time police officers," Westermayer said.
While the positions don't pay cash, there's no better payoff then helping others.
Volunteers do have to go through extensive training.
If you would like to apply you must do so by November 1st. You can turn applications at the Mankato Department of Public Safety. For more information call 507-387-8703 or 507-387-8780.
