On Thursday, during their monthly meeting, the Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service board voted to make the job of Fire Chief a 
full-time position. It is a major change in the 125-year history of the Northfield Fire Department and the eight-year history of the combined fire and rescue service.
In 2020, NAFRS contracted with What Works, Inc., and consultant Barb Strandell for a full operational review. Strandell’s report back to NAFRS was less than flattering, and recommended wholesale changes throughout the department. Hers was the third report in seven years to recommend a full-time chief. Many of her recommendations have been acted upon, and yesterday’s vote was another step in that process.
The debate over the full-time position has been a strong one for many years. Former Chief Gerry Franek was not one who supported the full-time position, and without his support, the idea was hardly even discussed. With Franek’s retirement and the hiring of Interim Fire Chief Tom Nelson, however, the full-time position became more of a possibility.
Nelson has re-organized the leadership of the department, delegated more authority to the Assistant Chiefs and Sergeants, instigated more training opportunities for the fire fighters, and has made his opinions about the need for a full-time chief known to the members of the board.
The question detractors of the full-time chief position would ask was “how is this going to help us put out fires?” Nelson has answered that question by re-invigorating the fire prevention and code enforcement programs. The Chief, even in a part-time role, has been the lone fire code enforcement officer for the area, and Nelson has shown that the full responsibilities of code enforcement are impossible to meet without going full-time.
A full-time Fire Chief position carries with it higher expenses for salary and benefits, and the organization has been running a two-track budget plan heading into 2023. All three members of the joint powers agreement, Northfield, Dundas and the Rural Fire District approved the budget that allowed for a full-time chief.
In the end, the vote for a full-time position was a unanimous one. Northfield City Councilor Brad Ness, who serves as Vice-Chair of the NAFRS board said every member spoke, and the discussion was “very positive.”
The position will be posted internally on Monday. A full-time Fire Chief is expected to be in position by mid-January.
Data Coordinator makes NPD Annual Report possible
The Northfield Police Department has issued its first annual report. The report, covering 2021, meticulously describes the sort of 
activity Northfield Police engaged in last, giving the public a better idea of what the department is doing.
Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott said this is the first such report the department has ever issued, and it is possible because of the department’s new Data Coordinator Katie Beer. Beer, a Southern Minnesota native who previously worked in the Prior Lake Police Records Department and for the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation in Des Moines, started with the department in February. After adding the body camera program, Chief Elliott spoke often about the need to have a person on staff who could sort through and catalogue all of the data the cameras collected, and he said Beer has been an excellent fit for the position.
The annual report breaks down police activity into several different categories. It goes through the total number of calls for service a Northfield police officer has answered. It shows the overall crime rate in Northfield, the types of crimes being committed and what crimes are more common at what time of the day. It also goes through the clearance rate the department is showing in resolving the crimes in one form or another. Using seven different peer cities, the report provides comparative analysis of activity in Northfield as well.
In a presentation to the City Council this week, Chief Elliott used the report to show that overall activity has increased as the Covid-19 pandemic subsides. Along with Beer, he described the highest number of crimes being committed, which are drug related, and how the data in the report can help the department plan its schedule accordingly. The data, he said, is going to be very useful internally, but there are plenty of good reasons to let the public see it as well.
“Internally, as we look at operationally where we need to be and where we need to put our resources, but also, you know, wanting the Community to understand the work we do and see some of those statistics too. So, from a perspective of transparency, I think it’s good to put that information out.”
Alaniz gives NH+C 24-hour midwife service
With a stated goal to increase women’s health care options, Northfield hospital + Clinics announced this week that Gretchen Alaniz
and OB/GYN Specialist Dr. Ngoc Vu have joined have joined the NH+C staff. With four certified nurse midwives now on staff, the NH+C Birth Center has midwives on call around the clock, while Dr. Vu further enhances care options at the Women’s Health Center on the Northfield Hospital campus.
Before becoming a midwife, Alaniz had been a nurse since 2007. She has experience in mother and baby, childbirth, and breastfeeding support. She is also trained as a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. She received a BA from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, her nursing degree from Creighton University in Omaha, and her Master of Science in Midwifery from Frontier Nursing University in Hyden, Kentucky. She is board-certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board.
Dr. Vu earned her medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and completed her residency and internship at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She is board-eligible for OB/GYN care.
In a statement issued by NH+C, Alaniz said the relationship she creates with the expecting mother is her favorite part of her job.
“What I love about being a midwife is connecting with patients,” Gretchen says. “I love that special relationship you develop with patients and their families. It’s a blessing.”
Vu said she too has a soft spot for pregnant women.
“They’re so motivated during this special time to prioritize their health and their baby, to be their best possible self to nourish this new life,” she said. “My patients are treasures, and I love sharing my medical expertise with them while they share extraordinary snapshots of their lives with me.”
For more information about Women’s Health at NH+C, visit the Northfield Hospital + Clinics website.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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