PLYMOUTH, Minnesota — Firefighters are used to being on-call to serve the community. Now those skills are being used while off-duty, to help in a different way.
Curtis Smith spent 18 years as a firefighter, mostly with the city of Golden Valley.
"About five years ago I just thought, 'These people are so talented. They're such wonderful people. They're so trustworthy. This really calls for some sort of business,'" Smith recalled.
Firefighter Handyman launched in January — dispatching off-duty firefighters to handle home repairs across the Twin Cities metro area.
The four founders include Smith (retired firefighter), Jeff Piper and Ryan Hering with the Golden Valley Fire Department, and Libby Grygar with the Minnetonka Fire Department. Combined, they have 50-plus years in the fire service.
"My wife and I were saying, we want someone that does quality work but it's tough to find folks to do smaller jobs. But what was more important to me was finding someone I could trust," said Rob Koppenhaver of Plymouth.
Koppenhaver said the couple's realtor recommended Firefighter Handyman. Wednesday morning, Smith and Piper were at the home to replace flooring that had water damage from the dishwasher.
Firefighter Handyman provides home repair, maintenance, installation, and assembly services.
"We do a lot of different work and it's really nothing hardcore electrical, or plumbing, or HVAC. Those are the pros that have the certifications and take care of that stuff. The stuff we look at is everything else. Some of it might even be considered DIY," Smith said, "It's just with people that don't have the time, don't have the full knowledge to do it, or can't do it anymore."
The job allows local off-duty firefighters a way to supplement their income while working flexible hours. Smith said the response has been positive since launching last month.
"To know that there's something out there and we're representing the fire department in a positive way is extremely important to us," Smith said.
They're also a tight-knit community, right now mourning the loss of fallen Burnsville officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth.
"It's a nightmare... that's the worst possible thing that can happen to anybody in community service," Smith said. "The important thing is to make sure that we're supporting their loved ones, their family members, and their friends and making sure that we're supporting each other because this affects all of us."
Supporting firefighters is part of their mission. Firefighter Handyman plans to donate 5% of its annual net income to organizations that support firefighters.
Firefighter Handyman services the Twin Cities metro area. Don't let the name fool you. They welcome all handypeople and are looking for firefighters to join the crew who are available 15-20 hours per month.
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