North Dakota emergency response staffing in 'crisis,' officials say

BISMARCK — When an emergency happens in most parts of North Dakota, responses come from teams largely made up of volunteers. But staff numbers are falling, while emergencies appear to be on the rise.

State and local officials on Wednesday detailed challenges in staffing both volunteer and professional emergency services across North Dakota to lawmakers on the interim Emergency Response Services Committee.

"I think we're in an extreme crisis mode for personnel across the state," said Rep. Todd Porter, R-Mandan, who owns an ambulance service.

Incidents requiring a response from a fire department in 2024 were more than double that of a decade ago — from around 22,000 to 50,000 today. Reported fires are up, too, from just under 2,000 a decade ago to over 3,000 last year, state Fire Marshal