The LGIA recognizes creative ways that counties, cities, townships, schools and native nations are making Minnesota better by pursuing innovation and service redesign.

The RCFCA includes 12 cities and 10 fire departments within a 170-square-mile area. In 2016, the cities entered into a Closest Unit Dispatching joint powers agreement in which the closest agency responds to emergencies, regardless of the location of the emergency. The agreement provides residents with faster response times to the most critical calls, resulting in a higher survivability rate and less property loss.

Prior to Closest Unit Dispatching agreement, the Ramsey County Dispatch Center sent the emergency call to the closest fire station within the jurisdiction of the caller, regardless of whether there may have been a closer unit from a neighboring community available to assist.

The Ramsey County Fire Chiefs Association was one of 19 local government projects recognized by the Humphrey Institute on December 13. Information about the government innovators is available at http://lgia.umn.edu/media.