The nonprofit SHIELD 616 donates body armor to fire departments across the country, including six in Minnesota.
ST PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters Association (MPFF) confirmed that Adam Finseth is the state’s first firefighter/paramedic to be shot and killed in the line of duty.
Finseth, along with two Burnsville police officers, were killed by a gunman on Sunday after responding to a domestic incident, according to a press release from the City of Burnsville.
Their job often puts them in dangerous situations, but unlike law enforcement, firefighters aren’t usually equipped with body armor.
At a memorial in St. Paul, the names of 227 firefighters are forever etched in metal to honor their ultimate sacrifice.
“These columns are sacred,” said local firefighter Cody Thornberg. “Standing next to them gives you that sense of duty and honor.”
Thornberg admits the job is dangerous and has performed it for the last 11 years.
“I don’t know many firefighters that are not willing to embrace an added layer of safety nowadays,” said Thornberg.
National data from 2002 shows violence towards firefighters was happening at about 5% of calls, but there’s growing concern about the seriousness and frequency of it. Now, some firefighters are wearing tactical gear, including Thornberg.
“They need it,” said Jake Skifstad. “They’re in that reality all day long.”
Skifstad was born in Minnesota, but became a longtime police officer in Colorado. He started a nonprofit called SHIELD 616 in 2015 to raise money and donate bulletproof vests and helmets to first responders.
“The firefighting profession is evolving from things that are changing and obviously it’s including body armor,” said Skifstad. “What’s really bad is they’ve never ever had that in their budgets.”
The nonprofit has since raised $19 million and given away more than 7,000 protection packages to 359 agencies across the country. That includes police departments, sheriff’s offices and fire departments. Many of them are throughout Minnesota, including six fire departments like St. Paul in 2021.
Skifstad says the shooting on Sunday has even more agencies reaching out to ask how they can better defend the heroes who save other people every day.
“The sky is the limit as far as how you can support a first responder,” said Skifstad. “They need that love and support right now.”
There’s no requirement to wear body armor; in fact, the Minneapolis Fire Department says it doesn’t outfit its firefighters with tactical gear or ballistic vests.
To donate to SHIELD 616, click here. Skifstad says donations are tax deductible. He also says the gear is made in America and, as technology improves, the company creates the lightest and best possible armor on the market.
The MPFF says Finseth’s name will be added to the memorial likely in September of 2025.
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