Enhanced Use Lease Partner Grand Sky Receives $11 Million Grant to Build New Fire Station

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Anthony Nunez-Pellicer
  • 319th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  

 

GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. — The DOD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation has has awarded Grand Sky a federal grant of $11 million through the Defense Community Infrastructure Program.

The Defense Community Infrastructure Program addresses deficiencies in community infrastructure supportive of military installations. It aims to enhance military value, cadet training at educational institutions, installation resilience, and military family quality of life.

The grant money will be used to enhance emergency response capabilities and improve safety for the growing community at Grand Sky by building a new fire station.

“Grand Sky needs fire response,” said Thomas Ford, Grand Forks County administrator. “We appreciate our relationship with the city's fire teams, but a 20-minute response time presents several risks.”

Should they occur, the fire response team at Grand Forks AFB can handle runway fires from crashes or similar emergencies but cannot respond to structural fires due to leased perimeter restrictions.

Planning for the new fire station has been nearly a decade in the making. Grand Sky previously lacked the resources needed to address the absence of nearby fire response.

“It’s been a long time coming, and a lot of people have contributed,” Ford said. “These types of grants are highly competitive, and this is the first one the city of Grand Forks has received, so we’re glad to make good use of it.”

This year saw the highest number of applicants for the program, with about 160 signing up for the federal grant fund, which had $100 million available.

“It’s a big part of helping build resilience and support for our military installations,” said Gracie Lian project coordinator. “Communities the size of Grand Forks don’t always have the resources to spend on large-scale renovations, making grants like this invaluable.”

The new fire station will serve as the primary fire response unit for Grand Sky and the southern portion of Grand Forks AFB.

The entire grant will be used to make the building operationally ready, including setting up water, electrical systems, and all interior and exterior facility needs, as well as constructing the building.

“Our congressional delegation, Senators Kramer and Hoeven, has paid a lot of attention to this program,” said Lian. “Without the support of many individuals and the community as a whole, these plans could not have come to fruition.”