The Prior Lake City Council recognized the promotion of two members of the Prior Lake Fire Department, while welcoming three new fire fighters during its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26.

Fire Chief Rick Steinhaus administered the oath to the five members, followed by the presentation of badges that were pinned to each by family members.

Jake Theisen was promoted to Assistant Fire Chief/Fire Marshall, and Brandson Anderson was promoted to Captain within the department.

New fire fighters included Blake Lawrence, Andrew Smith and Spenser Smith.

The Prior Lake Fire Department provides fire, rescue, and EMS service to the residents and businesses that encompass the three communities which span 74 square miles and serve a combined population that nears 40,000.

For decades, the department operated with paid-on-call firefighters who live within the service area. While it still relies on those on-call firefighters, as of July 2, 2023, the department moved to a full-time model.

Prior Lake has two fire stations and provides 24-hour service to the cities of Prior Lake, Credit River, and Spring Lake Township.