Fargo Fire Department reports first drop in number of calls for service since 2009

(Fargo, ND) -- The Fargo Fire Department released their 2023 annual report dedicated to incidents and statistics in their line of duty. 

There are several facts that the department believes are highlights of the report.

• Fargo Firefighters responded to 14,518 calls for service in 2023. This includes 288 fires, 163 hazardous materials calls, 58 technical rescues, and three water rescue emergencies.
• Fire safety inspections were conducted at all commercial property, hospitals, clinics, schools, nursing homes, and churches in the city.
• Fire safety lessons were provided to 5,000 school children.
• Two civilians died in 2023 via fires, and eight civilians were injured by fires. A total of five firefighters were injured while responding to calls in the community.
• 16 new firefighters completed the Joint Training Academy hosted between the Fargo and West Fargo Police Departments. 

In addition to the statistics listed above, Fargo Fire Chief Steve Dirksen says there was an uptick of intentionally set fires, a decrease in the damage fires caused, and a plateauing of the number of incidents the department responded to compared to the last three years. There were 11,543 incidents the department responded to in 2019 compared to 14,518 in 2023. However, the 2023 number is slightly down from 2022's total number of responses, which sits at 14,546. This is the first dip in responses publicly available data has shown in the last 15 years.

"The annual report serves not only as a reflection of our collective efforts as a department but also as a testament to the values that guide us: professionalism, responsibility, integrity, dependability and empathy,” Fire Chief Steven Dirksen stated.

“This report is further proof that the Fargo Fire Department is a world-class public safety agency full of firefighters devoted to protecting life and property. The service they provide our city is second to none.” said Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney in a statement.

You can read the publicly available Fargo Fire Department Annual Reports by clicking here.