Battle of the Badges
It was a Battle of the Badges—but this time, the competition was all about ribs! This annual community event brought together the Minneapolis Fire Department, Minneapolis Park Police, and of course, our talented cooks from MPD. When the smoke cleared, the Minneapolis Fire Department took home first place—congratulations!
We loved the friendly competition with our fellow first responders and appreciated everyone from the community who came out to say hi. We’re already cooking up something good for next year’s contest—watch out!
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Job openings
 Dr. Reginald Freeman sworn in as City’s Fire Chief
Last week, Dr. Reginald Freeman was sworn in as the 19th Fire Chief of the Minneapolis Fire Department. He previously gained extensive leadership experience in fire and rescue services, emergency management and public safety in Oakland, California, and Hartford, Connecticut, as well as serving in a variety of executive roles across the United States and internationally.
Chief Freeman replaces former Chief Bryan Tyner, who retired at the end of 2025 after 30 years of service. Melanie Rucker has served as interim chief since Jan. 1, 2026.
Get to know Fire Chief Freeman!
Heater safety in your home
As the weather gets colder, heating equipment becomes one of the leading causes of home fires. To stay safe this season.
- Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn.
- Plug heaters directly into a wall outlet — never into extension cords.
- Make sure your space heater is UL‑listed and tested.
- Have your furnace, chimney, and vents inspected before winter.
- Watch our video about heating safety
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Graduates completed an intense, three-month training program in which they learned cutting-edge skills that equip Minneapolis firefighters to save lives and protect property during the toughest emergencies.
Watch a recap of the graduation ceremony here. |
Back to School preparedness
We want everyone to be safe, so we recommend four steps from the CDC you can take to help keep your family safe, even when you’re apart:
- Know the emergency plans for schools or childcare facilities that your family attends.
- Every school and child care center should have a written emergency plan. This isn’t shared widely, but you can ask to confirm the school or child care center has a current plan.
- This plan will include information such as how they will contact parents in an emergency, and where children will go if they have to evacuate the facility
- Ask how you can contact the school or childcare center during an emergency
- Ask how parents or caregivers will reunite with their children
- Talk with your children about these plans, so that they know what to expect if something happens – this will help reinforce the drills that their school runs
- Talk to the administrators and safety officials at your child’s school about safety drills.
- Ask what safety drills are taking place in your child's school or early care and education facility.
- Talk with your child’s teacher or ECE professionals about how to help your child see safety drills as empowering instead of scary.
- Help children memorize emergency contacts or have them written in a safe place, like a backpack
- Great ones you can print out at Ready.gov and fill in.
- Make sure the school has your latest contact information, too, including your child’s emergency information such as medications and allergies
- Give a copy of this information to your child’s guardian, too.
- Practice evacuation plans and emergency procedures with children on a regular basis.
- Practicing is so essential – it builds that muscle memory for when bad things happen and gives you confidence to take action. It puts you in a place to say, “I know what to do."
- Involve your children in preparing for an emergency
- Teach them when and how to call 911.
- For your family’s emergency plan, get them to help select meeting locations and involve them in making the emergency kit for your home.
Prepare and recover from emergencies with Ready Camp
Do you know what to do in an emergency? Attend a free Ready Camp training to learn how to better prepare and recover from emergencies or disasters.
The free training will help you to:
- Build an emergency kit
- Develop a communication plan
- Notice signs and prepare for severe weather
- Recover from an emergency or disaster
- Learn about homeowner's and renter's insurance
Ready Campaign is a partnership between the City of Minneapolis Emergency Management Department and Minneapolis Public Schools Community Education, Sabathani Community Center and the Minneapolis American Indian Center.
Learn more about Ready Camp and sign up for an upcoming session on our website.
Preparedness Team summer outreach
The City’s Emergency Management and Preparedness team stayed busy all summer, working with residents across Minneapolis. Through community events, educational programs, and outreach activities, the team shared important information about how to prepare for emergencies and stay safe during disasters.
At community events, the team met with hundreds of residents. People received free preparedness resources, tested their knowledge with emergency preparedness trivia, and learned how to sign up for Minneapolis Alerts. These conversations helped residents better understand the risks our City faces and the simple steps they can take to be ready.
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City opens fourth NARCAN® vending machine
Help the City reduce gun violence: Project SAFE RFQ open until Oct. 13
Join the City in reducing gun violence. The City of Minneapolis is accepting Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) through Oct. 13 to support Project SAFE.
Project SAFE (Safe, Alive and Free) is Minneapolis’ approach to reducing gun violence, focusing support on the people and groups most at risk of involvement in serious violence.
The program brings together community organizations, outreach workers, service providers, and law enforcement to connect people with support, prevent violence, and improve safety. Project SAFE serves youth and adults in Minneapolis.
Learn more about Project Safe.
A Mother’s Love Initiative receives grant from Cities United’s Leading the Way
Through the Neighborhood Safety Department's Community Trauma Response contract, AMLI provides rapid field-based response and stabilization services following shootings and other high-impact violent incidents in North Minneapolis, including trauma-informed emotional support, community stabilization, de-escalation, retaliation prevention, safety planning, resource navigation and coordination with violence prevention and outreach partners.
This award recognizes their continued commitment to the local public safety ecosystem. The funding will allow them to continue offering imperative services for community members.
An inside look at MPD’s Forensic Services Division
Last week we highlighted the amazing work of one of our specialty divisions during National Forensic Science Week.
The Minneapolis Police Department’s experts play a critical role in investigations, helping uncover answers to complex questions. The Forensic Services Division laboratory conducts casework in the following disciplines:
- Computer forensics - performs forensic examinations on items such as cell phones and computers.
- Field Operations (crime scene and fingerprint analysis) - Examine, document, process, and collect evidence at crime scenes and in the laboratory; process vehicles; and analyze and compare friction ridge impressions.
- Firearms and Toolmarks – perform examinations on firearms, fired bullets, and discharged cartridge casings.
- Video forensics - recover video from video systems, isolate and enhance still images, perform comparative analysis, and prepare timelines.
Watch how our team works tirelessly behind the scenes—using science, technology and expertise to help solve crimes and deliver justice.
Minneapolis Police Chief search advances with candidate interviews
We're moving forward with our national search for the next Minneapolis Chief of Police. Our executive search firm has conducted its review of candidates, and interviews will begin in the near future.
The search has attracted more than a dozen applicants, including a mix of internal and external candidates. Our executive search firm vetted applicants based on the qualifications, experience and leadership characteristics identified through the search process.
We launched the national search earlier this summer to identify a leader who can continue efforts to reduce crime, support and grow the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) workforce, strengthen community trust, advance critical reforms and lead the department into its next chapter. The process includes input from community members, City leaders, MPD employees and other public safety stakeholders.
Learn more about next steps in the search on our website.
MPD welcomes new officers
 We are excited to welcome 29 new Minneapolis Police Officers and one Park Police Officer who graduated from the academy this week. The MPD graduates will begin Field Training at the five precincts, and Park Police will train its officer.
More and more those searching for a career in law enforcement are choosing Minneapolis. In fact, we now have 643 sworn officers. We are always looking for people committed to public service and who want to serve the city. Apply today.
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