Meet a firefighter: Joe Zinniel

It is no surprise that Bloomington Fire Department’s Station 3 Captain Joe Zinniel was drawn to fire service. His father was the fire chief in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, where Joe grew up.

“To me, fire service is the best job in the world,” Joe said.

After graduating from college, Joe gravitated toward fire service and emergency medical service. He began his fire career as a paid, on-call firefighter at the Bloomington Fire Department in 2016 and received paramedic certification in 2017. He also worked four years with the South Metro Fire Department serving South St. Paul and West St. Paul.

In his free time, Joe enjoys fishing, hunting, and of course, spending time with his family. He and his wife, Amy, have a one-year-old son, named Otto. Will Otto grow into public service? 

“I will encourage him to pursue what excites and interests him,” Zinniel said. “Obviously, there will be a lot of fire service influence on him growing up, but his mother will likely want him to be a financial advisor like her!”

Joe’s fire safety advice

“Close before you doze. In the event of a fire in your home, a closed bedroom door could save your life and give the fire department time to rescue you.”