We welcome firefighters from across the state who are here in the Magic City attending their annual State Fire School.

Between 800 and 900 firefighters are in town for the weekend event, according to Minot Fire Chief Kelli Kronschnabel.

Because of COVID-19, the fire school wasn’t held last year, but it’s back this year. It’s been held in the city of Minot for about the past 10 years.

Conducted by the North Dakota Firefighters Association, the group is gathering at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds and Clarion Hotel.

Firefighters are an integral part of our first responders. At this annual school, they are brushing up their skills on what they might need in their line of work from water rescue, thermal imaging, rope safety and auto extrication to fire inspections and investigations. Fire chiefs from communities in North Dakota are also meeting during the fire school.

The fire school comes in the same week the Minot City Council accepted a bid of $3.63 million for the construction of a new fire station to be built off Fourth Avenue in northwest Minot. Work on this station will begin in the spring. The station will be Minot’s fifth fire station and a major asset to the city.

To firefighters across the state, thanks for the job you do to keep us safe.