ND Fire Department breaks ground on new $3.2 million fire station

By Brad Nygaard
The Bismarck Tribune

BISMARCK, N.D. — A construction project to expand fire protection for residential and commercial properties on the city's north side officially began Wednesday with a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Bismarck Rural Fire building.

Sport helmets, fire department personnel, county commissioners and fire district board members were accompanied by representatives of the contractor and project architects as ceremonial shovels of dirt were lit on the $3.2 million project near the intersection of U.S. Highway 80 and North 71st Street. The project will expand fire protection services by increasing the number of firefighting apparatus and will ultimately accommodate 24/7 firefighters.

Bismarck Rural Fire Department Chief Dustin Theurer said Wednesday's groundbreaking was “a really good day.”

“It’s been a long time,” he said. “I can’t thank the county commission enough for their kindness. »

Burleigh County commissioners have committed $2.9 million in federal funding under the American Rescue Plan Act.

ARPA, the $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package passed by Congress to facilitate economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, was signed into law by President Joe Biden in the spring of 2021. It allocated millions of dollars to political subdivisions such as Burleigh County for various public needs. projects.

Figures provided by Burleigh County show it received $18.5 million in ARPA funds that must be pledged by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026. Other projects for which commissioners have promised money includes $603,000 for renovations to the county courthouse and about $7 million. for the redevelopment of the Provident building.

Commission Chairman Brian Bitner said the decision to spend money on a project to expand fire protection in the rapidly growing area just north of Bismarck was an easy decision to make.

“Caring for people’s lives and safety is high on the priority list,” he said.

Bitner also mentioned the potential lifesaving capabilities offered by having a staffed fire station closer to an ever-growing population, as well as the potential savings on insurance premiums for home and property owners. commercial properties.

“We felt it was a need here, as the project continues to grow, and we felt it was a justified use of funding,” Bitner said.

Although Wednesday's groundbreaking marked the start of the project, Theurer said real progress is still a ways off. Site preparation won't begin in earnest until mid-July and steel production for the building's construction won't begin until September if everything goes according to the construction schedule, he said.

Scheduled to be completed in early 2025, the new fire station will eventually be able to accommodate four firefighting appliances, doubling the existing capacity of two. The construction plans also include space to house firefighters, including bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and other amenities found in fire stations across the country.

The only rural fire station currently staffed full-time in Bismarck is at 5800 E. Main Ave. However, Theurer said long-term plans include staffing the same way for the new facility. This staffing will reduce response times, but will also require additional staff as the department's budget allows.

Bismarck Rural Fire employs 10 full-time firefighters, two chiefs and 24 part-time firefighters. Once the new station is completed, the existing facilities will be offered for sale and removed from the property, Theurer said.

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