Burning of leaves, sticks and tree branches is not allowed in Rochester, unless a special permit is granted. This includes the wood from your last building project, or the tree that fell down last summer. To receive a special permit, contact Rochester Fire Department at (507) 328-2800 or submit an online application.

• City of Rochester Open Burn Policy
• Department of Natural Resources (for outside Rochester City limits)

• Keep it small: less than 3 ft. diameter is the rule
• Best location is 25 ft. away from any house
• Grills or barbeque pits can be 15 ft. from any house
• Have water on hand, just in case. Have a bucket with water handy to douse wandering flames
• When you're gone, put it out. Unattended fires are dangerous.

Community Connect is a free, secure, and easy to use platform that allows you to share critical information about your household or business that will aid first responders and emergency response personnel when responding to your residence. By providing information about your household  and business that you feel is important for us to know about at the time of an emergency, we can ensure you and everything you care about is protected to the best of our ability.

Learn more and sign up for Community Connect.

The Minnesota State Fire Code requires a fire department lock box when access to a building or area is restricted by secure openings, or when immediate entry is needed for life-saving or firefighting purposes. For additional information on requirements, contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at 507-328-2056 or firemarshalsoffice@rochestermn.gov.

Commercial & Multi-Family

The Rochester Fire Department requires lock boxes for the following to have a Fire Department Lock Box: 

• All commercial buildings
• All multi-family buildings

Some large and complex buildings may be required to have multiple boxes.

Boxes can be purchased through the Knox Rapid Access System website.

Residential Lock Box (Home-Box)

The primary intent of a lock box program is to facilitate quick access to residential homes during emergencies. Lock boxes provide fire personnel with the ability to expedite entry into a residence using a key rather than forcing entry through a door or window. These are primarily used during medical emergencies.

Home boxes can be purchased through the Knox Rapid Access System website.

Once installed, or if you already have a lock box on your property and need to have the keys added or changed, please contact us at 507-328-2056. 

Thank you for your interest in visiting one of our 5 stations.  We apologize for the inconvenience but until further notice, we are suspending in station tours and presentations.

Rochester Fire Department personnel are not certified car seat technicians. We have put together some resources for caregivers below.

• Local Child Safety Seat Resources [PDF]

Car Seat Check Appointments:

• Olmsted County Public Health
• Olmsted Medical Center

Infant Passenger Safety Classes:

• Mayo Clinic Perinatal Education
• Olmsted Medical Center

Additional Resources:

• Safe Kids
• Car Seats Made Simple
• The Definitive Guide To Car Seat Safety For Kids

Carbon monoxide or CO is a colorless and odorless gas. CO poisoning can occur when a fuel-burning appliance or machine, such as a furnace, heater, or generator, is not working or vented properly. Breathing in CO at high levels can be fatal. The initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever) and include:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Dizziness

If you suspect that you are experiencing CO poisoning, get fresh air immediately. Leave the home and call for assistance from a neighbor’s home. You could lose consciousness and die from CO poisoning if you stay in the home.

Get medical attention immediately and inform medical staff that CO poisoning is suspected. Call the Fire Department to determine when it is safe to reenter the home.

Below are a few points to help eliminate introducing CO into your home:

• Install and maintain CO alarms inside your home to provide early warning of carbon monoxide.
• CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home.    
• Choose a CO alarm that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
• CO alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms. Know the difference between the sound of smoke alarms and the sound of CO alarms.
• Test CO alarms at least once a month.
• Make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace are clear of snow and other debris.
• Remove vehicles from the garage immediately after starting.
• Use portable generators outdoors in well-ventilated areas away from all doors, windows and vents.

Visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's website to learn more about the dangers of carbon monoxide.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s State Fire Marshal (SFM) division is highlighting ongoing efforts to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings and deaths across the state. 

The Rochester Fire Department will install alarms in homes free of charge, while also educating residents on CO poisoning and prevention.  

This SFM CO awareness campaign is partially funded through the federal Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Grant Program and Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2021. 

If you are interested in a CO alarm installation through this program, call  311  or make the request through  the following request for service form.  Choose Fire Department in the Type of Issue dropdown and CO Alarm Install Request. 

CO Alarm Install Request

State Fire Marshal kicks off statewide carbon monoxide (CO) awareness campaign

INSTALLATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM

INSTALLATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM (SPANISH)

• Keep portable heaters three feet from anything flammable.
• Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to sleep.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Have your home heating system and chimney cleaned and inspected annually.
• Make sure your wood stove is properly installed and ventilated.

• Choose flameless candles. Most offer the same flicker effect as real candles and come in scented varieties.
• Keep traditional candles in a sturdy container that cannot be tipped over.
• Extinguish candles before leaving the room or going to sleep.
• Use flashlights - not candles - for emergency lighting if the power goes out.

• Stay in the kitchen when cooking.
• If you leave the room, turn off the stove and move the pan from the burner.
• Keep things that can burn (oven mitts, towels, wooden spoons) three feet from the stove.
• If a fire starts, slide a tight-fitting lid on the pan and turn off the heat.
• Avoid loose-fitting clothing that can easily catch fire.

• Designate a safe meeting place outside your home everyone can get to after a fire.
• Use graph paper to draw a floor plan of your home and show two ways out of each room.
• Make sure each family member is aware of escape options from each room.
• Practice your family escape plan twice each year.
• Walk through your home periodically and inspect all exits and escape routes.
• Home Fire Escape Planning

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• Interconnect your home's smoke alarms. This way, when one sounds, they all sound.
• Teach children the sound of the smoke alarm and to exit the home/building when it sounds.
• Place alarms on the ceiling. If alarms are placed on the wall they must be no more than 12 inches below the ceiling.

Fire Home Safety

The Rochester Fire Department  is currently underway in developing a program for smoke and CO alarm outreach to the community.  Until we are ready to roll out our program, the local chapter of the Red Cross has a program for an in home fire safety check which includes an installed smoke alarm.  Red Cross Home Fire Safety Program  They can also be reached at 507-287-2200.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s State Fire Marshal (SFM) division is highlighting ongoing efforts to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings and deaths across the state. 

The Rochester Fire Department will install alarms in homes free of charge, while also educating residents on CO poisoning and prevention.  

This SFM CO awareness campaign is partially funded through the federal Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Grant Program and Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2021. 

If you are interested in a CO alarm installation through this program, call  311  or make the request through  the following request for service form.  Choose Fire Department in the Type of Issue dropdown and CO Alarm Install Request. 

CO Alarm Install Request

INSTALLATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM

INSTALLATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM (SPANISH)