MSFCA Kitchen Fire Safety Live Demonstration Units

Through a grant from the MN FAIR Plan, the MSFCA Public Education Committee has two Kitchen Fire Safety Live Demonstration Units available for rent for fire departments across Minnesota.

The Kitchen Fire Safety Live Demonstration Units are available for fire departments to use to educate their communities on how to prevent kitchen fires.

Prior to renting a unit, fire departments must attend the mandatory training. Rental is $75.00 for the first day and $25.00 for each additional event day.

Unattended cooking, including stovetop, cooking oil, and grease fires, is the number one cause of home fires and fatalities in Minnesota. Many of the injuries and fatalities are caused by people tossing water on the grease fire or grabbing the burning pan off of the stovetop to move it outside or to the sink.

The units are portable classrooms with a working stovetop for live demonstrations. A team of trained firefighters teaches the public how to prevent kitchen fires and how to react and survive a fire if one should occur. As one team member teaches, the other team members place a pot of oil on the stovetop and wait until it starts on fire. Firefighters then show citizens how to extinguish a stovetop, cooking oil, or grease fire by sliding a lid on the pan and turning off the heat. Once the crowd sees how to put out a stovetop fire safely, they are shown what happens when water is poured into the burning pan of grease. As the waters hits the hot grease, the grease explodes and flames spread across the ceiling and out of the unit. Citizens are left with a lasting impression. The units were put into service at the end of September of 2011. Since then, thousands of people have been educated about kitchen fire safety.

The two MSFCA Kitchen Fire Safety Live Demonstration Units are available for rent. Please read and understand the responsibilities outlined in the rental agreement prior to contacting the office for rental. In addition, please check the schedule to ensure the unit you wish to reserve is available on the date desired.


Kitchen Fire Safety Live Demonstration Unit Training

Train the Trainer
This free training session not only allows you to hold live public demonstrations in your community, it also allows you to train other fire departments on how to use the Kitchen Fire Safety Live Demonstrations Units. All the training sessions will be conducted outdoors weather permitting. Gear is required if you would like to get some hands on training.

Presenting to the Public Training

Saturday, May 4th, 2024
10:00 am-11:00 am
Maple Grove Fire Station No. 4
8924 Lawndale Lane North
Maple Grove, MN 55311

Tuesday, May 14th, 2024
6:00 pm-7:00 pm
Ramsey Fire Department
15050 Armstrong Blvd. NW
Anoka, MN 55303

To register for the training, please contact Kellie Murphy-Ringate at (952) 960-1692 or [email protected].

RSVP information needed when registering for training:

  • How many firefighters will be attending the training
  • A contact number for the day/evening of the training in case the training session is canceled
  • An e-mail to use to send more details and confirmation information

For more information regarding training, contact:
Kellie Murphy Ringate | 952-960-1692 | [email protected]


Renting the Kitchen Fire Safety Live Demonstration Units 

View the reservation calendar to see if your preferred date is available. To rent the unit, please fill out the rental agreement below and submit it to [email protected].

Kitchen Fire Safety Live Demo Unit Rental Agreement
Kitchen Fire Safety Live Demo Unit Manual 

Kitchen Fire Safety Live Demonstration Unit Host Departments

Unit One (Central)
Host: Maple Grove Fire Department

8925 Lawndale Lane North
Maple Grove, MN 55369

Contact: Fire Education Specialist / Fire Inspector Jeremy Berger
Office: (763) 494-6099
Cell: (763) 218-0804
Email: [email protected]

Unit Two (North Central)
The South Unit is moving from Dodge Center Fire Department to Ramsey Fire Department at the end of June. It will be called the "North Central Unit”.
Host: Ramsey Fire Department
15050 Armstrong Blvd NW
Ramsey, MN 55303

Contact: Fire Inspector Chris Weiss

Office: (763) 433-9812
Email: [email protected]

MSFCA Recipe Book for Fire Safety