Borough Fire Departments

For years,  Borough staff have searched for effective ways to support and sustain village fire departments.  While Kotzebue has had a successful fire department for over thirty years, most of our villages have struggled to maintain active status with the State Fire Marshall’s office.   During my terms as mayor, our Public Services Department has been making an effort to change that.

 In July of 2003, the Assembly passed Ordinance 03-03, in which the Borough adopted area-wide authority for prevention and suppression of fires.  With this act, the Northwest Arctic Borough Fire Department was formed.   The new Department consists of an administrative office in Kotzebue and ten village Battalions.  Kotzebue is exempted from the ordinance, due to their long-standing and successful organization.

In the new Borough Fire Department, the Public Services Director serves as the Department Administrator, and the Public Services Coordinator serves as the Department Clerk.  The Borough staff work to gather and submit fire data to the State, seek grant opportunities for equipment and training, purchase and distribute equipment to local battalions, and organize and facilitate training of volunteer firefighters.   In this new program, village Battalion Chiefs receive a stipend and work as a contractor to the Borough.

Fire Administrator Tom Bolen has been visiting Borough communities, helping to reorganize and establish Volunteer Fire Battalions.   Each community is asked to identify applicants for the Battalion Chief position, establish a community Volunteer Firefighter’s Association, and adopt Bylaws.  Individual volunteers are required to fill out an application for membership.   Once a local Battalion meets minimum requirements outlined in the Borough ordinance, it is sanctioned and recognized by the Borough as an active Battalion.   

Organization and recognition of a local village battalion makes the community eligible for grant opportunities.  The deadline for one such opportunity is now approaching.   The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s annual “Assistance to Firefighters Grant” deadline is April 15^th.   Tom and his assistant Andrea Greene are both working on this grant and hope to acquire new call-out gear for all Borough Battalions.   However,  village Battalions must complete their paperwork and submit it to the Fire Administration immediately to insure eligibility.   If your community needs additional assistance on this issue, please contact Tom or Andrea at 1-800-478-1110, extensions 112 or 113, right away.

Fortunately, we have not experienced many serious fires in our region in recent years.  However, when a fire does occur, it is important that we respond in the most timely, efficient, professional manner possible in order to save lives and protect property.   The Borough is working in earnest to insure that our village battalions are prepared to do just that. 

Northwest Arctic Borough Staff Directory

Northwest Arctic Borough
P.O. Box 1110 Kotzebue, AK 99752
(907)442-2500 (800)478-1110 Fax:(907)442-2930

(c) 2001 Northwest Arctic Borough All rights reserved