At Minneapolis Fire Station 6, Engine 10’s A-shift recently renewed their commitment to stay together for two more years, continuing their work out of the city’s busiest station.

Inside the station stands Capt. Michael Graves, fire motor operator Jesse Strong, and firefighters Johnny Crow and Bobby Headbird. Their all-Native American crew wasn’t assigned. It wasn’t a department directive.

“This was all us,” Graves said. “It was important because we all have ties to the city, and we grew up not seeing police or fire that looked like us.”

Representation, he says, has a real impact on trust and connection. The crew sees that impact every day.

On the job: Familiar calls, familiar histories

During a recent ride-along to a small house fire in south Minneapolis — a call resolved within minut

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