History
History of the Fire/EMS/Safety Center, Library and MRTC Center- Studies in the 1960s to coordinate the delivery of fire training in Minnesota formed the genesis of the organization now known as the Fire/EMS/Safety Center. A State Firemanship Training Program had been established in 1957 by the Vocational Education Division of the State Department of Education. Development and coordinated delivery of college level fire protection courses in Minnesota were recognized needs by 1964. Governor Karl Rolvaag supported a recommendation by the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association that an entity within the University of Minnesota be created to meet these needs.
Representatives from a variety of groups with an interest in fire protection formed a committee and drafted a bill submitted to the 1967 Legislature proposing a study of training for careers in fire prevention and protection. The University of Minnesota was given a ten thousand dollar appropriation to fund an advisory committee and conduct the study.
The advisory committee, comprised of members from educational entities, fire organizations, state agencies, municipalities and related industries, analyzed fire service educational needs in Minnesota and made a comparison to fire service educational programs in other states. Specific recommendations were detailed in Report of University Advisory Study Committee on Fire Protection and Fire Prevention Education (University of Minnesota, June 1968).
Key among the recommendations, which were eventually submitted to the 1969 Legislature:
- Develop an integrated, total, state-wide program to meet the needs of the fire service at all levels.
- Bring the basic fire fighting response of all departments throughout the state to an acceptable minimum standard of performance.
- Establish a Fire Information, Research and Education Center at the University of Minnesota as a separate and identifiable administrative unit to:
- Examine the objectives and needs of the fire service and develop programs to meet those needs. Conduct research necessary to develop a systematic body of knowledge prerequisite to the establishment of fire technology as an academic discipline.
- Serve as an information center and a center for technical advice and assistance to the states fire service and its educational institutions.
Legislation passed in 1969 approved this report and established a State Advisory Council on Fire Service Education and Research. Concurrently, the University of Minnesota acquired funding to establish the F.I.R.E. (Fire Information Research and Education) Center, which opened August 15, 1969.
The F.I.R.E. Center supported the State Advisory Council and acted as an information-gathering, research, and data evaluation agency, .a focal point for collection and distribution of information related to state fire service needs (State Advisory Council on Fire Service Education and Research, Report No. 1, 1971). The F.I.R.E. Center staff started to build a national reputation for delivering well-researched information on fire prevention, protection, and suppression. In gathering resources, the Center began the core of what is todays Fire/EMS/Safety Library.
On July 1, 1986, as a result of the University of Minnesotas Commitment to Focus, the F.I.R.E. Center resources and functions were transferred to the State Board of Technical Colleges. The State Board of Technical Colleges, which oversaw the delivery of education and training for fire department and emergency medical service personnel in Minnesota, stated its intention that the F.I.R.E. Center materials and resources should also be made available to concerned citizens as well as to members of the fire service community. After the transfer, the functions and staff of state fire fighter training and the F.I.R.E. Center were integrated in order to have seamless delivery of both training and information. In 1990, an Emergency Medical Services specialist was added to the group, reflecting the emphasis on first response by public safety organizations. Support of training to respond to hazardous materials incidents also became a focus.
During this time, the F.I.R.E. Centers resource collection evolved into a reference library managed by a professional librarian and grew to include journals, newsletters, monographs, technical reports, codes and standards, annual reports, procedures manuals, legislation, curriculum packages, pamphlets, statistical sources, and audiovisual material. In 1991, the F.I.R.E. Center Library became a member of the Minnesota State University Systems Project for Automated Library Systems (MSUS/PALS) online catalog, providing access to the F.I.R.E. Center Librarys collection to users throughout the state.
The State Board of Technical Colleges was disbanded as a result of the system-wide merger of state universities and community and technical colleges, which resulted in the creation of MnSCU. Therefore, in 1995, the F.I.R.E. Center became a part of Metropolitan State University, St. Paul. The Center became known as the FIRE/EMS Center and moved personnel and property to Energy Park Drive, where the library was located in the first floor atrium. As part of Metropolitan States School of Law Enforcement, the Center and Library expanded in scope, including more direct support for students and faculty and a gradual shift away from a reference only function to greater circulation of library materials.
Since July 1, 1998, the Fire/EMS/Safety Center has been part of the MnSCU System Office. In response to Chancellor Morrie Andersons view that the Center could best establish standards for the statewide delivery of education for fire, emergency medical service and industrial safety programs, becoming a part of the MnSCU administrative structure was an advantageous choice. The Center added safety to its purview and name, including occupational safety and health as well as mine safety. The library moved to a separate location in the ETC building and began to grow its collection to incorporate the Centers expanded role.
The Fire/EMS/Safety Center has continued to respond to the times. In 1999, the Community Training Center (CTC) was established as the forerunner of the Centers MRTC (Multi-Regional Training Center), which is the largest American Heart Association-licensed center for the training and certification of CPR and First Aid Instructors.
Environmental Health and Safety issues for MnSCU campuses were given prominence when a Safety/Compliance Manager was added to the staff in 2005, focusing on compliance and best practices, environmental management, occupational safety, and industrial hygiene. An Emergency Preparedness Manager, added in 2007, is addressing emergency preparedness, crisis intervention, and continuity of operations, both for first responders and MnSCU campuses.
The Fire/EMS/Safety Center and Library have become involved in the delivery of a number of online educational offerings, most notably the Bachelors Degree in Fire Administration. This program, begun in 2001, is administered through Southwest Minnesota State College.
In July, 2005, the Fire/EMS/Safety Center and Library moved to their present location, on the atrium level of Wells Fargo Place in downtown St. Paul.
