St. Cloud police officers will step onto the diamond next month to defend the softball title they claimed a year ago, when they beat the city's firefighters 18-12 in the first-ever Guns 'N Hoses matchup. The rematch is set for Monday, September 14, at Joe Faber Field inside the Municipal Athletic Complex, with first pitch following a Touch-a-Truck event that opens at 5 p.m.
The second annual Police vs. Fire Guns 'N Hoses Softball Game pits the St. Cloud Police Department against the St. Cloud Fire Department, according to KNSI. Admission is free, and food will be available for purchase on site. The two departments will compete for a year of bragging rights, the outlet reports, picking up where last September's inaugural contest left off.
Before the first pitch, families can check out the Touch-a-Truck portion of the event, which runs from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and features police squads, fire engines, and other emergency vehicles up close. First pitch follows at 6:30 p.m. The St. Cloud Police Benefit Association and IAFF Local 464 launched the event in 2025 to bring the community together, and both organizations are behind this year's rematch as well.
A Friendly Rivalry Born From Daily Teamwork
On any given shift, St. Cloud police officers and firefighters typically work side by side on emergency calls, a dynamic the softball game is designed to spotlight in a lighter setting. That real-world partnership was on display in April, when fire crews suppressed second-floor flames during a multi-story house fire on 5th Avenue South while officers assisted with scene safety, as Hoodline previously reported on the blaze that displaced 11 residents.
Ahead of last year's inaugural game, St. Cloud Fire Marshal Brian Kiffmeyer noted that although firefighters and police officers typically collaborate on emergency calls, the softball matchup creates a friendly rivalry that helps highlight public safety, according to KNSI's earlier coverage of the event's launch. After police took the opener 18-12 last September, St. Cloud Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 464 said in a Facebook post that the department was already looking ahead to making the rematch bigger.
Where the Rematch Fits Into a Bigger Tradition
The Guns 'N Hoses name reflects a long-standing national tradition of charity sports events in which police and fire personnel face off in softball, boxing, or hockey to support local causes and the families of fallen responders. St. Cloud's version joins a broader pattern of similar matchups across Minnesota, including a police versus fire softball game held at Toro Stadium in Bloomington last summer to foster community relationships, a game Hoodline covered in its piece on Bloomington's police-fire softball exhibition. Similar rivalries operate under the same umbrella elsewhere in the region, including the North County Battle of the Badges tournament.
Joe Faber Field, the game's host venue, opened in 1998 at 5001 Veterans Drive and seats roughly 2,000 spectators, with lighting for night games and grandstand seating. It sits within the Municipal Athletic Complex alongside Dick Putz Field, the Torrey and Ritsche ice arenas, and the Veterans Public Golf Course, giving St. Cloud one of the more expansive municipal sports campuses in central Minnesota.
Departments With Deep Community Ties
Both organizing unions maintain active profiles beyond the ballfield. IAFF Local 464 was selected for a 2026 Rock-On Award for civic leadership, an honor Mayor Jake Anderson announced in June citing the union's involvement with Miracle League baseball games, MDA fundraisers, and holiday gift deliveries. In May, Local 464 members also ran their annual Fill the Boot fundraising drive in east St. Cloud to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
The fire department itself operates out of five stations staffed around the clock, handling more than 10,000 emergency calls annually and providing specialized hazardous materials response across an 11-county region in central Minnesota. Police officers, meanwhile, are represented by Law Enforcement Labor Services, one of ten collective bargaining units the City of St. Cloud maintains with its municipal workforce. With last year's 18-12 finish still fresh, both departments will look to settle the score under the lights at Joe Faber Field on September 14.
