By Joey Harris

The Bismarck Tribune

BISMARK, N.D. — When an emergency happens in most parts of North Dakota, responses come from teams largely made up of volunteers. But staff numbers are falling, while emergencies appear to be on the rise.

State and local officials on Wednesday detailed challenges in staffing both volunteer and professional emergency services across North Dakota to lawmakers on the interim Emergency Response Services Committee.

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“I think we’re in an extreme crisis mode for personnel across the state,” said Rep. Todd Porter, R-Mandan, who owns an ambulance service.

Incidents requiring a response from a fire department in 2024 were more than double that of a decade ago — from around 22

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