DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES Logan Ripple, North Dakota Forest Service, left, is assisted by Pfc. Chany C. Chany, 188th Engineer Company, center, and Spc. Matthew Duku, 142nd Engineer Battalion, in sifting through the ashes in search of smoldering embers in the area northwest of Grassy Butte, North Dakota, Dakota, September 9, 2021.
The North Dakota Department of Emergency Services (NDDES) continues to be invaluable for the citizens of North Dakota. The NDDES operates under the supervision of the Office of the Adjutant General and consists of the Division of Homeland Security and the Division of State Radio. Its vision is to provide a safe, secure, and resilient North Dakota.
Since 1997, NDDES has helped fund more than $250 million in hazard mitigation projects designed to prevent damages from future disaster events. According to Pew Charitable Trusts, an average of $6.54 is saved for every $1 spent on mitigation activities in North Dakota. Using that formula, it is estimated NDDES hazard mitigation projects have prevented more than $1B in disaster damages.
The agency’s mission is to provide North Dakota with a central coordinating agency for public safety communications, prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. This mission is accomplished with about 105 employees. NDDES provides 24/7 emergency communications and resource coordination with more than 50 lead and support agencies, private enterprises, and voluntary organizations to assist local and tribal jurisdictions in disaster and emergency response activities. It administers federal disaster recovery programs and the Homeland Security Grant Program.
In 2021, North Dakota contended with a series of summer storms. NDDES assisted local jurisdictions affected by these events by compiling information and submitting a request for a presidential major disaster declaration. The June storms, which caused overland flooding and produced damaging winds and hail, resulted in more than $2.3 million in damage to roads and other infrastructure. The declaration covered nine counties: Burke, Divide, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, LaMoure, Sioux, Williams, and McKenzie. It unlocked FEMA public assistance to help cities, counties, and townships pay for the costs of repairing roads and other infrastructure.
With less than four percent of its overall $177 million budget coming from the state’s general fund, NDDES provides an enormous return on investment for North Dakotans. These dollars are especially important when disaster strikes and in other times of need. Through Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance Program, NDDES has coordinated the obligation of more than $126 million to help reimburse local, state, tribal, and non-profit organizations for expenses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as an additional $15 million for disaster damages caused by severe storms and flooding. The agency also coordinated the distribution of almost $14 million in federal grants to establish and bolster emergency management programs throughout the state.
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Office of the Adjutant General
NDDES additionally has been fully involved in the state’s response to historic drought conditions, as well as an extremely active fire season this year. In 2021, North Dakota has experienced more than 2,400 fires that burned more than 125,600 acres. With its partners at the North Dakota Forest Service and NDNG, NDDES coordinated the response to significant wildland fire events, including an April 1 fire that encroached on the City of Medora and prompted evacuations. Local, tribal, state and federal agencies also responded to two large wildfires over April 30 - May 2. The Roosevelt Creek Fire in the Little Missouri National Grassland, north of Medora, burned more than 4,600 acres, while another fire on the Fort Berthold Reservation,
