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Newport Fire announces promotions, new reporting system and January activity figures
Summary
The fire chief introduced two promoted members — Jason Hedegger and Tyler Hipley — and reported the department switched to the state's 'Nearest' reporting system on Jan. 1, 2026, and provided January incident, training and activity figures.
The Newport Fire Department introduced two new promotions during the Feb. 5 council meeting and provided an operational update.
Fire Chief (name not stated in the public record) introduced promoted personnel Jason Hedegger and Tyler Hipley. Jason Hedegger, identifying himself as a firefighter EMT, thanked leadership and said he looks forward to contributing more to the department. Tyler Hipley, identifying himself as the new fire captain, said he has served in Newport for several years and works as an instructor with the Northern Dakota Training Academy.
The chief reported Newport transitioned to the state’s new reporting platform, 'Nearest,' on Jan. 1, 2026, replacing the prior system (referred to in the meeting as 'Niffers'). January operational figures cited in the meeting included incident hours and training and activity hours; the chief reported roughly 16 calls for the month and several mutual-aid responses. The department also has personnel qualified as train‑the‑trainers for the blue‑card engine command system, enabling statewide instruction capability.
Quotes from the promoted staff included Hedegger: "I'm just uh want to thank uh Derek and the leadership...and I appreciate the backing that the administrator and the mayor have." Hipley said he was pleased to represent Newport as a captain and an instructor. Council members thanked the new appointees and welcomed them to their roles.
