Duluth firefighters take new oath to city at pinning ceremony

Duluth firefighters left the pinning ceremony with more than new badges. For the first time in the event’s 10-year history, recruits swore an oath to the city, a shift Chief Shawn Krizaj said will make the tradition a formal commitment to Duluth rather than an informal promise to the department itself.

The ceremony was held in the Horizon Room at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center and honored uniformed and civilian staff who received promotions or passed probation between August 2025 and June 2026. The city scheduled the event for 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, June 8, and said internal awards were also presented.

Mayor Roger Reinert administered the oath. Reinert, who took office in January 2024 as Duluth’s 40th mayor, said the city is stronger because the recruits answered the call to serve. He also pointed to the workload behind the ceremony, saying Duluth has the third busiest fire department in Minnesota and responded to about 15,000 calls last year.

The department’s personnel changes matter because the fire service is not just a ceremonial institution. The Duluth Fire Department says its mission is to safeguard residents through code enforcement, fire prevention, public education and effective emergency response, work that depends on staffing depth and experienced leadership on shift. Krizaj, who had worked with the department for almost 22 years when the city recommended him for fire chief, has led a department that city officials described in 2022 as having a record-breaking year for both calls and staff retirements and hires. The city said it ended that year with 22 new firefighters hired, a sign of the pressure the department has been under as it adds people and replaces those who leave.

The pinning ceremony also recognized partner agencies with certificates of appreciation, reinforcing the network that supports fire operations across Duluth. By putting the oath to the city into the ceremony, department leaders signaled that promotions and probation completions are not only personnel milestones but also part of a larger effort to strengthen public identity, leadership continuity and response readiness in a department that carries a heavy load for the city and St. Louis County.