VIDEO: Families in northern Burleigh County will get help faster when emergencies strike, thanks to a brand-new fire station the Bismarck Rural Fire Department just finished on Aurora Loop. The $3.2 million project โ funded with $2.9 million in American Rescue Plan money through the Burleigh County Commission โ gives firefighters space to stay on site, store more trucks, and respond more quickly as Bismarckโs growth pushes north.
โThis is the first step to cutting down those times โ ten, even fifteen minutes faster in an emergency is a win for everybody,โ Assistant Chief Brian Reinke said. Reinke said the departmentโs old building was little more than a garage โ no bedrooms, kitchen, or showers, which made it hard to staff around the clock. โThere was a station here that didnโt meet our needs anymore,โ Reinke said. โIt was basically just a barn with two fire trucks. It didnโt provide us any means to staff it full time.โ
The new station changes that. It includes living quarters, modern facilities, and room for another truck in the future. โOur response times from our south station were getting very long,โ Reinke said. โThe city is moving north quickly. This station helps us keep up.โ
The Bismarck Rural Fire Department is a combination department with 11 full-time firefighters and about 24 paid-on-call volunteers. Eight volunteers are assigned to the new station and respond when available. Right now, the new station is partially staffed, open a few days a week during normal business hours. Reinke said the departmentโs next goal is to reach 24-hour coverage, seven days a week.
