Episode
HC0058 - T. John Cunningham - Assistant Commissioner - MN Dept of Public Safety
- Podcast
- HAZARD CLASS
- Published
- Mar 4, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 4398
- Processing state
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Summary
Jake sits down with T. John Cunningham , Assistant Commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. With a background in fire service leadership and emergency management, Cunningham shares his unique journey from a young fire explorer in Greenwich, Connecticut, to overseeing statewide emergency response systems in Minnesota. [email protected] www.tjohncunningham.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjohncunningham/ Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction Host Jake introduces T. John Cunningham, former fire chief, emergency manager, and current Assistant Commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. 03:00 - Early Beginnings in Public Safety T. John reflects on how his public safety journey began at the age of 13 in Greenwich, Connecticut, as a Fire Explorer, sparking his passion for firefighting and technical rescue. 07:00 - Moving to Minnesota Cunningham discusses his move to Minnesota to become fire chief and emergency management director in Elk River, including the personal challenges of relocating across the country. 10:00 - Leading Elk River Fire Department Cunningham talks about his time as Fire Chief in Elk River, transforming the department and overcoming challenges as a younger fire service leader. 14:00 - Transitioning to Brooklyn Park Cunningham shares the challenges of leading the Brooklyn Park Fire Department, transitioning from a volunteer workforce to a full-time career service. 18:00 - Building the Brooklyn Park Fire Academy The creation of a fire academy in Brooklyn Park to improve training standards and recruit from within the community. Cunningham discusses how they structured the academy for success. 22:00 - The Art of Leading a Career Department Cunningham talks about leading a career department, emphasizing the importance of settin…