White Shield introduces new fire district

WHITE SHIELD, N.D. (KMOT) - White Shield community residents are benefiting from a new fire district, and on Wednesday, they celebrated by officially opening the new fire hall.

The goal is to provide quicker response times and enhance safety within western McLean County.

It also comes in the wake of historic fires in western North Dakota over the past year.

When a fire starts and your safety is at stake, every moment matters. Having a nearby fire department can bring peace of mind, but what if it takes 30 minutes for them to arrive?

“If a house caught on fire out here, it was going to burn to the ground,” said Tevin Dixon, deputy chief of the White Shield Fire District.

That’s a problem the White Shield community has faced for years.

Dixon has been a driving force in helping fix that.

“We as a department can provide a peace of mind for our community,” said Dixon.

On Wednesday, White Shield held the opening of its new fire department.

While the fire district has been responding to fire calls for the past eight months, it’s still continuing to grow.

“Response is what we’re working on to get there and stop it before it grows,” said Tommy Bonilla, captain of the district.

Bonilla said the creation of the department didn’t happen overnight. He said it’s been a five-year process, starting with building design and creating the district boundaries.

Dixon shares that they hope to use the other portions of the public safety building for the community’s EMS and police department in the coming years.

“Running a full-time fire department would be ideal,” said Dixon.

The district currently has 23 volunteers and is hoping to eventually create full-time positions.

Dixon said they are always looking for more volunteers.

To keep up with the fire district’s growth and happenings, find its page on Facebook.

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