Miller-Dwan grant funds new turnout gear for Brimson volunteer firefighters

The Brimson Area Volunteer Fire Department got a badly needed upgrade in the form of new turnout gear, a purchase made possible by a Miller-Dwan Foundation grant after a year that showed just how costly rural fire protection can be. For a volunteer department serving Brimson and the surrounding Lake County area, the new gear is more than a uniform change. It is the difference between wearing equipment that has outlived its useful life and having protection built for the heat, smoke, embers and punishing conditions firefighters face on the line.

That need became impossible to ignore during the Brimson Complex fires last spring, when BAVFD crews stayed on call for long stretches while wearing turnout gear that was more than two decades old. The Brimson Complex was the combined response to the Camp House Fire and Jenkins Creek Fire, and officials described the incident as active on May 14, 2025 while firefighters used full suppression tactics to protect threatened structures and infrastructure. Media coverage reported the complex had burned 35,572 acres by then.

The Camp House Fire, which started May 11, 2025 from an unattended campfire, was especially destructive. Coverage reported it burned 12,071 acres and destroyed 144 structures, underscoring how quickly a fire in the Brimson area can become a community emergency. In that kind of response, turnout gear is not an accessory. It is core safety equipment, and worn-out gear can raise the risk of burn injury, heat stress and fatigue during the long, relentless shifts that volunteer firefighters often work.

The Miller-Dwan Foundation grant matters because replacement gear is expensive, and that cost can be a major barrier for a small department with limited resources even when the need is obvious. The new gear helps close a safety gap created by years of use and a high-demand fire season, and it strengthens BAVFD’s ability to answer mutual-aid calls across northeastern Minnesota when neighboring departments need help.

The funding also reflects a larger reality in rural public safety. FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program has helped departments obtain protective gear and other critical resources since 2001, and the National Volunteer Fire Council has said volunteer departments often struggle to replace outdated or non-compliant turnout gear because they do not have the money to do it alone. In Brimson, that outside support now translates into better protection for firefighters and a stronger emergency backstop for residents who depend on them when the next fire call comes.