The Cloquet Area Fire District Case Study
Through a partnership with Pollen Midwest, we created a case study to learn how the Cloquet Area Fire District reformed local government services to improve safety and quality of life for its community.
Excerpt from The Case Study
The Cloquet Area Fire District (CAFD) is a unified fire, rescue and medical emergency service provider that works to enhance the safety and improve the quality of life within the communities it serves. CAFD accomplishes this through the redesign of local government services in order to provide higher levels of service in an economically sustainable and transparent manner.
Welcoming Divergent Ideas
CAFD staff let community members drive the conversation to redefine what emergency services might look like under a merger. Cloquet’s fire chief even went so far as to invite departments that had no interest in joining the new district to participate in learning sessions.
Finding Solutions
When faced with the daunting task of drafting and passing new legislation to create the state’s first joint department, CAFD reached out to legislators, community members and other departments around the country who were familiar with the work. CAFD’s partners donated time and resources to help them learn quickly, improvise and push through a challenging process.
