Peter Matthews talks with Assistant Chief Steve Baker of the Plymouth, MN, Fire Department about how fire service delivery has evolved in his region.  

Baker shares how the transition from volunteer and paid-on-call firefighters to combination and full-time agencies has led to faster responses and more efficient operations. He highlights the role of regionalized training, inter-agency collaboration, and a consistent command system in driving progress.  

Baker emphasizes that lean staffing continues to limit departments from reaching their full potential and both current and future leaders need to understand the mandatory overtime and long work hours will take a serious toll on the next generation of the fire service.   

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