Senate Commemoration 801
Introduced by: Senators Deibert, Crabtree, Duhamel, Larson, Nelson, Perry, Pischke, Rohl, and Zikmund and
Representatives Fitzgerald, Duffy, Emery, Greenfield, Kull, Moore, Muckey, Venhuizen, and Wittman
A LEGISLATIVE COMMEMORATION, Recognizing and expressing gratitude to South
Dakota Wildland Fire and Black Hills volunteer fire departments for their
quick response and cooperation on Black Hills wildfires.
WHEREAS, South Dakota Wildland Fire, an agency of the Department of Public Safety,
was created on July 1, 2001, to work closely with federal agencies, volunteer and municipal
fire departments, other states, and South Dakota residents, to deliver fire mana gement
services within the state and in other states, as part of a national fire management system;
and
WHEREAS, Wildland Fire employs engine personnel, hand crews, fuel mitigation
technicians, administrative support, and additional seasonal firefighters to fulfill its mission of
preventing, mitigating, and suppressing wildfires; and
WHEREAS, the volunteer firefighters in the Black Hills area sacrifice time with their loved
ones to train and prepare each year for fire season; and
WHEREAS, South Dakota Wildland Fire provides solid and consistent leadership to the
numerous volunteer fire departments in and around the Black Hills to protect people and
property; and
WHEREAS, South Dakota Wildland Fire and volunteer fire departments responded to two
hundred and fifty-four fires in the Black Hills area in 2024, and their quick action kept these
fires small, burning only two thousand nine hundred sixty-five acres; and
WHEREAS, this quick response to fires would not be possible without Black Hills volunteer
firefighters, their cooperative spirit, and their commitment to protecting their friends and
neighbors;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT COMMEMORATED, by the One Hundredth Legislature of the State
of South Dakota, that South Dakota Wildland Fire and the Black Hills volunteer firefighters
consistently exhibit cooperation, commitment, and courage in protecting South Dak ota’s
residents, visitors, livelihoods, and natural treasures.