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Crow Creek official asks Buffalo County to sign mutual‑aid agreement as tribe forms volunteer fire department
Summary
Tommy, Crow Creek’s OEM and ambulance director, asked Buffalo County commissioners to consider a formal mutual‑aid agreement to support a newly authorized Crow Creek volunteer fire department, citing grant coordination, reimbursement and chains-of-command concerns and offering training and equipment support.
Tommy, the Crow Creek emergency manager and ambulance director, told the Buffalo County commissioners that the tribe has passed a resolution creating a volunteer fire department and is asking the county to approve a written mutual‑aid agreement to formalize cooperation.
Tommy said the tribe recently lost much of its federal fire‑suppression coverage after a reprogramming by a federal agency and has launched a local volunteer force to restore local response. He said the tribe has allocated roughly $28,000 to buy three fire skids and is seeking to certify personnel through the South Dakota state fire marshal to meet structural‑fire standards. “We’re not trying to obligate the county,” Tommy said. “It’s just some mutual agreements that…should we respond to anything on your side of the county.”
Tommy asked the county to accept language that would allow the tribe to seek reimbursement for responses on federal property under the National Wildland Fire Coordination Group rates. He said many reservation homes are federally owned or managed—“90% of the homes on the reservation are owned and operated by HUD,” he said—and that a formal agreement would help the tribe and county avoid duplicative grants and share training opportunities.
County commissioners and local fire officials raised standard questions about reimbursement, insurance and operational expectations. County officials said the local volunteer fire district operates independently and that any agreement should be reviewed by the district and the county state’s attorney. One commissioner requested the matter be tabled so the county attorney and the fire district could review the draft.
Tommy said the tribe will host trainings and can share equipment and trainers once the department is incorporated and certified. He described the agreement as nonbinding and based on availability: “If they’re not available, they’re not available,” a local fire official said. The commission did not adopt the agreement at the meeting and directed staff to route the draft to the county’s legal counsel and local fire districts for review.
Next steps: the tribe asked to be placed on the next county agenda and said it would continue building its roster, pursue state certification and pursue grant opportunities to expand service.
