Cokato Fire Department and Ambulance Service
When emergency calls come in for the Cokato Volunteer Fire Department, its 23 members are ready. The volunteers are a dedicated group of folks who have gone through 140 hours of firefighter I and II training to pass a test to become a firefighter.
About once per year, the fire department conducts a controlled burn in order to provide training to keep the firefighters ready and quick to respond to emergencies in the city of Cokato and surrounding townships.
The number of calls received in 2010 were slightly higher than in 2009, but still within an average range, according to Cokato Fire Chief Mike Holmquist.
There were 85 calls in 2010, whereas, in 2009, there were 65 calls for service.
The department’s response area includes Stockholm Township, Cokato Township, the city of Cokato, and half of French Lake Township.
A new Pierce Saber pumper truck was purchased by the department this year, at a cost of $376,969. It has a 1,500-gallon pump and a 1,000-gallon tank.
Equipment for the new truck was purchased with money raised by the fire department through pull tabs, donations, and grants. Pull tab revenue was used for the purchase of the fire hoses, the nozzles were purchased with a grant from AgStar, and the ventilation fan was purchased with a grant from CenterPoint Energy.
The City of Cokato also operates an ambulance service, which is a separate part of the department, with long-time director Jim Erickson.
The number for the fire barn is (320) 286-2452, although if there is an emergency, dial 911.
The fire hall is located on Jenks Avenue in Cokato. Correspondence should be sent to PO Box 1030, Cokato, MN 55321.
Fire department members:
Chief - Mike Holmquist
Asst Chief - Ken Bakke
Captain - Jeff Carlson
1st Lt. - Jeff Amundsen
2nd Lt. - Hutch Erickson
Jeremy Asfeld
Keith Asfeld
James Babb
Reed Carlson
Mark Dahlman
Dennis Johnson
Paul Keskey
Ricardo Larios
Randy Lundeen
Jim Martinson
Jimmy Martinson
Jason Miller
Kelvin Nelson
Jarod Sebring
Sara Stack Carlson
Nate Wilson
Jim Winkelman
Jason Kalis
Cokato Ambulance Service
The Cokato Ambulance Service has a dedicated team of personnel, consisting of 14 loyal crew members.
A new ambulance was purchased in late 2009 to replace an ambulance that was deemed unreliable. In 2010, a portable rescue lift, or gurney, was purchased with the help of a $5,000 OSHA grant.
The ambulance service area includes the city of Cokato, Cokato Township, Stockholm Township, and part of French Lake Township.
Director Jim Erickson notes that the ambulance service is a completely separate entity from the fire department, and always has been since it formed in 1979.
In its first year, the ambulance service responded to 118 calls. In 2010, there were 313 calls for service, according to Erickson. Its all-time high for calls was 377 in 2006.
The ambulance station is located on Jenks Avenue in Cokato.
Correspondence should be sent to PO Box 1030, Cokato, MN 55321. E-mail is: cok_amb@charterinternet.com.
