East Bethel honors fire department retiree after month of calls and training

The East Bethel City Council on Feb. 23 heard a report from the fire chief that included call-volume data, staffing updates and a retirement recognition for a long-serving volunteer.

The fire chief (unnamed in the transcript) told the council the department responded to 59 calls in February, with about 30% related to falls or shortness of breath. He said the department conducted five hours of training this month focused on incident command and medical training, and that five probationary members recently started the academy.

The chief announced a retirement on the consent agenda for Jeff Borschner, who has served 37 years with the department. The chief said the Relief Association ordered customary commemorative items for retirees with more than 20 years of service and would allow Borschner to determine the scale of any public send-off. Multiple council members praised Borschner's service; one council member said, “Thank you for 37 years of courage, 37 years of leadership,” and the council moved and approved the retirement recognition by voice vote.

The chief reminded residents to check Minnesota Department of Natural Resources burn-ban guidance as weather warms and cautioned that ice conditions can deteriorate quickly. No further action on department policy or funding was proposed at the meeting.