BISMARCK – A bill proposing to use Legacy Fund earnings to support emergency services in rural communities is working its way through the legislative process in the North Dakota Senate.

Sen. Josh Boschee, D-Fargo, introduced Senate Bill 2332, which proposes to establish a Legacy Earnings Emergency Services and Public Safety Fund to aid rural communities that have limited resources to combat fires or assist with medical emergencies. Co-sponsors are Reps. Alisa Mitskog, D-Wahpeton, Mike Brandenburg, R-Edgeley, and Jon Nelson, R-Rugby.

The bill would invest $25 million in Legacy Fund earnings to create a new fund allowing local emergency services agencies to apply for state grants. It also would create a 21-member advisory board for the new fund, consisting of North Dakota firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement officers, and representatives from the Legislature, the state’s political subdivisions and tribal communities.

Boschee said the bill would help recruit and retain emergency responders, expand resources to ensure timely emergency responses and modernize the delivery of emergency services.

“No one who calls 911 should have to worry about how long it will take for help to come. This bill will ensure that no matter where you live, you will receive timely emergency services,” he said in a news release.

Travis Bateman, director with Badlands Search & Rescue and a founder of Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of North Dakota, both based in Watford City, was among those who testified before the Senate State and Local Government Committee Feb. 7 about the challenges facing rural emergency services.

“We are entirely nonprofit and rely on donations and grants in order to survive. That, in and of itself, has proven to be a large challenge as it has never brought any reliable, consistent or steady stream of funding to operate,” he said. “Members also respond in their own vehicles, purchase their own fuel, packs, food and other essentials to respond and operate. Members in past operations have also purchased fuel for our boats, food for the team and even emergency repair costs to one of our boats during a mission as we did not have the funds on hand as an organization.”

Training and certification also has a cost, which falls on the individual volunteer member, Bateman said.

“While this has been accepted by most members, I can say that it has also kept us back from attaining certain skills as there comes a point where the price tag is simply too steep and we have no funding sources whatsoever to access from any government programs that exist, as we are locked out for not being a government organization or political subdivision,” he said.

Additionally, emergency responders have needs due to older or outdated equipment and facilities that have reached or exceeded their useful service life, he said.

The committee voiced concern with the proposed size of the advisory committee and indicated the potential for amendments before passing the bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is expected to happen by the end of this week.