releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=c7c25813-0535-40ab-96c7-743b1852ccb8
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=c7c25813-0535-40ab-96c7-743b1852ccb8 | On Two-Year Anniversary of Casselton Derailment, Heitkamp Honors North Dakota First Responders | 2015-12-30 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | CASSELTON, N.D. Two years after the derailment of a crude oil train near Casselton, U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp toured the Casselton Volunteer Ambulance Service today to thank volunteer first responders and underscore the need to provide federal support for volunteer ambulance services, fire departments, and other emergency responders. To make sure firefighters and ambulance workers have the training and equipment they need, Heitkamp fought to increase federal funding to support first responders in the year-end spending bill Congress passed earlier this month. Today she encouraged North Dakota fire departments and first responders to apply for the increased federal funding. Heitkamp also presented Ken Habiger, president of the Casselton Volunteer Ambulance Service, with an American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol in recognition of Habigers commitment to the safety and wellbeing of his community. From local fire departments to volunteer ambulance services, we need to do everything we can to make sure our first responders are prepared and safe as they work to protect us, said Heitkamp. The derailment in Casselton two years ago was a blunt reminder that we have a duty to support first responders like Ken, who work hard every day to make their communities stronger and safer. Congress needs to do its part to give first responders knowledge and training to protect our communities. Thats what I pushed for in the spending bill, and what Im also trying to do with my RESPONSE Act. Community service is a way of life here in Casselton and throughout our state, and we need to do everything we can to protect and prepare those who answer that call to serve. The spending bill Congress passed provides $690 million for first responder grants for equipment and staffing in 2016, which is a $10 million increase from 2015. Eight North Dakota fire departments including Fargo, Buffalo, Cavalier, and Bismarck benefited from Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) funding totaling nearly $1 million in 2014. The AFG and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants that Heitkamp fought to include in the spending bill are available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Since the derailment near Casselton in December 2013, Heitkamp has focused on finding ways to provide first responders in North Dakota and throughout the country with tools, training, grants, and other resources to make sure theyre well equipped to do their jobs. In February, Heitkamp reintroduced her Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs, and Safety Evaluation (RESPONSE) Act, aimed at prioritizing support for first responders to make sure they have tools and skills to protect communities when responding to hazmat incidents on the rails, like crude oil derailments. Heitkamp first introduced her RESPONSE Act in June 2014 to address concerns about first responders safety and preparedness that were raised following the Casselton derailment in December 2013. After specifically pressing a top FEMA official, Heitkamphelped secure $5 million in federal funding in 2014 to support a one-of-a-kind federal training facilityin Pueblo, Colorado that prepares first responders to handle to hazmat incidents on the rails. Nearly 90 North Dakota first responders participated in training at the Pueblo facility in 2014 and 2015. In March, Heitkamp brought U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to North Dakota, and led a discussion in Larimore with North Dakota volunteer firefighters and Mayorkas so that the second in command at DHS could hear volunteer first responders concerns about equipment, training, and resources. In North Dakota, 96 percent of firefighters are volunteers. Heitkamp also launched her Strong & Safe Communities Initiative following the derailment, bringing together North Dakota leaders to address the states emerging challenges from rail safety to human trafficking in the wake of the oil and gas boom. In October, more than 150 community leaders from across the state including fire and first response officials gathered in Fargo for her first Strong & Safe Communities Summit. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |