Fargo Fire Department breaks ground on new station

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - The Fargo Fire Department broke ground on a new fire station on Tuesday, June 20.

Fire officials say Fire Station #8 will serve people south of the Rose Coulee, between 32nd Street South and the Red River.

Fire Chief Steve Dirksen says they’ve responded to nearly 1,900 calls for service in that area in just the last five years, and response times aren’t up to the department’s standards.

“We respond to 90-percent of all those calls in 10 minutes and 46 seconds and that’s not acceptable by our standards. Our goal is to respond every emergency in every planning zone 6 minutes and 20 seconds or less, 90-percent of the time, so this station and this investment is going to help us reach that goal,” Dirksen said.

He calls this an exciting investment for the safety of the community, and one they’ve been waiting a long time for.

“It’s an investment in your safety, in our community, and we put a great amount of time and we want to ensure that we are going to spend your dollars wisely. We are going to have a functional building that’s going to serve our community well into the future,” Dirksen said.

The new station will cost $5.3 million dollars and will need 15 firefighters to operate. The department says three to four firefighters will work out of the new fire station once it’s complete, with additional firefighters and a battalion chief being added in the near future.

“To hire the best, you need to build the best. I’m proud of this plan and believe it will help us recruit and retain the next generation of firefighters for decades to come,” said Fargo City Commissioner Denise Kolpack, who is the Fire Department Liaison. “Being future-focused, responsive and proactive are keys to remaining the regional leader and i’m so excited for what’s to come.”

The hope is to open the new fire station in the second quarter of 2024.

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