Richfield, MN

The City of Richfield has a lot of great traditions. From Red, White and Blue Days to the Urban Wildland Marathon to Penn Fest there is something for everyone. One of the city’s favorite under-the-radar traditions is the Fire Department’s badging ceremonies where the city council, staff residents, fellow firefighters and their families can celebrate the accomplishment.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to put those ceremonies on hold for the majority of 2020 and into 2021. However, with the send-off of outgoing Fire Chief Wayne Kewitsch, the department decided to host a socially distanced ceremony for the firefighters receiving their badges and promotions.

At the ceremony, Assistant Fire Chief Mike Dobesh received his chief’s badge. He came to the department in 2012 to take the position of assistant fire chief. Prior to coming to the City of Richfield, Dobesh was employed as the assistant fire chief for St. Louis Park. He started his career in the fire service in 1996 as a paid-on-call firefighter for St. Louis Park.

Jenell Wood received her battalion chief’s badge. Wood came to the RFD from the Lakeville Fire Department in 2010. During her more than a decade with the department, Wood has held the positions of firefighter, lieutenant and captain.

Battalion chief is a new position within the RFD that coordinates which promotes fire safety and manage fire-related inspections. This includes inspections related to the Minnesota State Fire Code, especially in new construction and multi-family housing, providing information to the public regarding fire safety and prevention, and assessing the risks within the community.

Joe Halaska received his lieutenant’s badge. Halaska, whose father Mike was also a member of the RFD, became a firefighter for the city in 2010. Previously, he had served as a firefighter in the Superior Fire Department in Superior, Wisconsin.  

Alisa Brakic received her firefighter’s badge. She joined the RFD in 2019 after working as a firefighter for the St. Cloud Fire Department.

Lastly, Ryan Wolf received his firefighter’s badge. Wolf started with the RFD just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in February of 2020. He had previously been a paid-on-call firefighter for the City of Bloomington.

The City of Richfield would like to congratulate all the fire personnel who received their new badges at the ceremony. We truly appreciate all the hard work you do to keep residents safe and healthy.