Central ND News

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has announced an award of $11,600,000 to Grand Sky in Grand Forks to enhance emergency response capabilities and improve safety by constructing a new fire station. The facility will serve as the primary fire response unit for Grand Sky and the southern portion of Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB).

This funding, provided under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, aims to ensure GFAFB’s ability to respond adequately and swiftly to emergencies, protect valuable assets, maintain missions, and safeguard personnel's health and well-being. The groundbreaking of the fire station will commence once all environmental requirements have been met.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), commented on the announcement: “The partnership between Grand Sky and Grand Forks Air Force Base is essential to our state’s defense ecosystem, and with rapid growth comes infrastructure challenges,” said Cramer. “The completion of this fire station will protect our airmen and Grand Sky by improving resiliency and response time. Meeting these infrastructure needs will ensure safety while supporting the partnership’s potential.”

Senator Cramer has utilized his position on SASC to support military installations and defense ecosystem partnerships in North Dakota. In August, he participated in various activities including bringing the Space Development Agency (SDA) Operations Center North online at GFAFB, attending a Grand Forks Base Retention Committee meeting, touring the University of North Dakota (UND) National Security Corridor, announcing new Navy personnel at GFAFB, meeting with E-Space CEO Greg Wyler alongside UND faculty and SDA staff to discuss workforce development initiatives, and announcing educational initiatives between SDA and UND.