Senate committee recommends $500,000 grant to North Dakota Firefighters Association for training facility purchase

The Senate Industry and Business Committee recommended advancing Senate Bill 2218, which would appropriate $500,000 from the Strategic Investment Improvement Fund to the Insurance Commissioner as a one-time grant to the North Dakota Firefighters Association to help the nonprofit purchase a building that would house offices, training space and equipment storage.

Senator Jerry Klein, District 14, introduced the bill and described the request as a 20 percent down-payment to leverage an 80 percent lender commitment: "They have found the building, it's about $2,000,000. The lender will go 80%. We're looking for that boost to get them at 20%." Klein said the association is actively fundraising and the appropriation is intended as one-time seed money to complete the purchase and preserve the current purchase price.

Robert (Rob) Knuth, identified as the training director for the North Dakota Firefighters Association (NDFA), told the committee the NDFA is a 501(c)(3) organization that is nationally accredited and provides mobile training and certification statewide. "NDFA is a mobile training organization. We provide instruction and certification testing to individual departments," Knuth said. He said 96% of the state's firefighters are volunteers and that many departments cannot afford travel or lodging for centralized training.

Knuth described a three-phase plan: Phase 1 — purchase the existing office building (current asking price roughly $1.9 million); Phase 2 — construct an addition to store equipment and provide indoor hands-on training; Phase 3 — renovate office and classroom space. He said the NDFA currently leases offices and separate storage, has four full-time and two part-time employees, and contracts about 200 instructors statewide. Knuth said the requested $500,000 would provide the 20% needed to enter a mortgage and proceed with Phase 1.

Ken Wong, Carrington Fire chief and president of the North Dakota Fire Chiefs Association, testified in support, describing how NDFA equipment and training extend capabilities to smaller volunteer departments. John Arnold, deputy insurance commissioner, said the Insurance Department already distributes $1.2 million annually to NDFA from the insurance regulatory trust fund and supports the appropriation as a way to make that investment more efficient by giving NDFA a home base.

Committee members asked about timeline and finances. Knuth said the association hopes to complete the purchase before June 1, 2025, to avoid a large rent increase at its current leased office and that Phase 2 construction timing will depend on capital-campaign returns and lender willingness; the contractor estimated 14–18 months of construction once permits and paperwork are under way.

Senator Klein moved a do-pass recommendation and asked that the bill be referred to the Appropriations Committee; Senator Kessel seconded. The clerk called the roll and recorded: Senator Klein — Aye; Senator Kessel — Aye; Chairman Barta — Aye; Vice Chairman Behm — Aye; Senator Engott — Aye. The motion carried.

Proponents presented written budgets showing current appropriations and estimated post-purchase mortgage comparisons; NDFA said current grant or WSI funds cannot be used for a capital purchase. Witnesses emphasized that owning a facility would reduce long-term rent costs and allow centralized secure storage for temperature-sensitive training props and simulators.

The committee added an emergency clause in the bill text to allow faster execution if funded; Senator Klein explained the clause was included to help NDFA meet acquisition timelines. The committee closed the hearing and forwarded the bill with a do-pass recommendation to appropriations.