When fire broke out at Hanson Tire Service in Albert Lea last week, the Albert Lea Fire Department arrived at the scene in a matter of just one minute.

Albert Lea Fire Department Lt. Al Schallock said firefighters received the call of the fire at 2:17 p.m., and they arrived at Hanson Tire at 2:18 p.m.

A second truck of firefighters, who were not on duty at the time, arrived at 2:35 p.m.

The Albert Lea Fire Department is a block away from Hanson Tire Service.

“I’m convinced because how the fire was already upon our arrival, if we would have waited a few minutes, it would have gotten into the front area, the office and showroom, and there’s a good chance it would have gotten into the back bays,” Schallock said.

That’s where the company’s tires were stored.

The second truck’s response time of about 17 minutes would have been similar to the response time of a volunteer fire department, had Albert Lea not had a full-time fire department, he said.

“From a timeliness standpoint, for them to be able to be there that fast made a big difference on our business about where we are today,” Hanson Tire part owner Kelvin Rehnelt said. “If it had been delayed, it’d be hard to tell what would have happened.”

At a time of budget crisis for the city, one of several options on the table to save money for the city’s budget is whether to switch to a volunteer fire department.

The fire at Hanson Tire is an example of when it’s beneficial to have a full-time department, Albert Lea City Manager Victoria Simonsen said.

“This is one of those services that until you’ve had to use it you sometimes don’t appreciate having it,” Simonsen said.

This year in Albert Lea, a $100,000 homeowner pays about $36 a year for fire protection.

But with that cost of fire protection also comes many other duties that people may not realize firefighters do, Simonsen said.

Firefighters paint and flush hydrants, do periodic blood pressure checks for people, keep their eye on security cameras at City Hall and provide education about fire safety at the schools, to name a few of the duties, she said.

They conduct fire safety inspections at businesses within the city, have started conducting rental housing inspections, go through periodic training, and sometimes just come to community events, such as the ice fishing contest or the half marathon through town, so they can be there if the need rises, Schallock added.

“People think we come on duty at 8 o’clock and wait for the fire phone to ring,” he said.

The firefighters work in 24-hour shifts. And they are pretty busy.

If Albert Lea were to have a volunteer fire department, it may not affect home owner’s insurance, but it would affect insurance considerably for businesses, Schallock said.

“Let our numbers from last week speak for us,” he said. “It sounds like a quick fix of something, but in the long run, it’s not going to save us that much money.”