HomeMy WebLinkAboutVolunteers09-10-08-
Contact: Marty Doll, Communications Coordinator
Phone 952-826-0396 • Fax 952-826-0390 • Web www.CityofEdina.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Edina Fire Department welcomes new paid-on-call
firefighters
Edina, Minn., Oct. 8, 2009 – The Edina Fire Department recently welcomed four new firefighters to
their volunteer paid-on-call (POC) group.
Edina’s new POC or “volunteer” firefighters are Dan Diepenbrock, a paramedic for North Memorial
Medical Center; Doug McLeod, an IT consultant for Genesis10; Adam Petrella, a Marketing Program
Manager for U.S. Bank; and Peter Knaeble, a high school special education teacher at Cooper High School
in Robbinsdale.
In addition to their day jobs, POCs are required to come together three times a month for three-hour
training sessions and be on call 24/7. To maintain their status as volunteers, each member must respond
to general alarms and group pages and take part in 20 hours of shift work over a six-month period.
“Serving as a volunteer firefighter is a challenging and rewarding way to give back to the community,” said
Edina Fire Chief Marty Scheerer. “The training is rigorous, but at the end of the day, I think all of our
volunteers will tell you it’s worth it.”
Edina operates a full-time firefighting and emergency medical service, but also employs a 16-person POC
group to help ensure that all shifts are adequately staffed and every emergency receives the fastest and
most efficient response possible.
“If a shift member is out ill or the station becomes short-staffed due to emergency calls, POC volunteers
can be called to cover,” said Scheerer. “If an emergency requires ‘all hands on deck,’ the POCs provide an
additional 16 pairs of hands we can call on.”
Cameron Counters, Mark Armstrong, Seth Johnson, Harry Blanek, Jay Lippert, Todd Wakefield, Mike
Pearson, Mike Seeger, John Hardacker, Ron Elmquist, Leah Bower and Brandon Winkel round out Edina’s
POC group.
For more information, visit www.CityofEdina.com/Fire or call the Edina Fire Department at 952-826-
0330.
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