ST. PAUL — Firefighters in full gear will roam the halls of the state Capitol but not because of an emergency.
Thursday is Fire Service Day at the Capitol. Several unions and professional organizations that represent firefighters, fire chiefs and fire departments will meet with lawmakers and testify on several bills of interest to their members.
A group of firefighters in emergency gear will testify before the House Public Safety Committee on the state's Fire Safety Account, which was created in 2006 to fund the fire service through a surcharge on property insurance premiums, but fire protection organizations say it's now being improperly used primarily as a tool by lawmakers to fill budget holes in the state budget.
