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ON THE COVER | DAN FULLER Recently, the West Fargo Fire Department unveiled their second-ever strategic plan to cover the years 2019-2023. With this plan, the Department is anticipating more energetic growth of West Fargo and initiating programs to accommodate such. The plans include continued community risk reduction, an additional fire station, and at least 24 more personnel to be hired. The West Fargo Fire Department has recently shifted to heavily focus on increasing community awareness and prevention about various hazards. They’ve transitioned beyond presentations at schools to excite kids about fire safety and instead aim to connect with the community by attending community events, canvassing neighborhoods, facilitating workplace fire safety training, and leading trainings on active assailant situations. According to the Department’s most recent strategic plan, “The department isn’t just about responding to fires, but rather, responding and reducing all hazards within our community. While fire suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, and technical rescue are the major operational areas we focus our efforts on, it is important to note that equal time should be dedicated to Community Risk Reduction efforts.” The plan continues to include that, “when an act of terrorism 20 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com occurs, or a natural disaster strikes, the department will be on the front line. That is a fact and an expectation of our community, as well as communities across our country. In addition to the response, if the department can reduce the seriousness of an incident through Community Risk Reduction, or even prevent it from occurring at all, then we are bound to do so.” To adequately carry out Community Risk Reduction efforts, the West Fargo Fire Department is focusing on potential threats that may arise in 2-5 years. Fuller wants the community to know that, “issues that will come up in six months have already been dealt with. We’re looking way beyond that now.” “What excites me most is being able to shape and mold the department to what works best for West Fargo, while implementing nationwide best practices such as Community Risk Reduction,” said Fuller. The Fuller Family Fuller’s active family helps to ensure that he has a full, fun schedule. He recently celebrated his one year anniversary with Naomi, his wife, who works as a Registered Nurse with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota. Their blended family of seven guarantees that the couple attends at least two sporting events a week as their oldest three

kids are heavily involved in sports including lacrosse, football, track & field, and basketball. Although the two youngest aren’t involved with sports yet, Fuller is almost certain they will be. Serving as West Fargo Fire Chief is, without a doubt, a team effort and Fuller’s family plays a huge role in making it possible. “My family supports me through understanding that, occasionally, Dad has to leave for a fire or emergency and that, a few nights a week, I’m in meetings until 8 or 9 at night. When I am gone, my wife Naomi really supports me because she stays here and takes care of five kids who are involved in several sports teams and after school activities. My in-laws live in Fergus Falls, and they are great to come and watch the kids when I have out of town meetings and Naomi travels with me,” said Fuller. Dan at age six. “It is making a difference, every day, and just maybe, leaving the community in a better place than when you walked in.”– Dan Fuller A Learner at Heart Aside from reading in his free time, Fuller routinely seeks continued education. “Continuous learning leads you to constantly look at the way you are and compels you to make changes based on others’ best practices. In the fire department, we are constantly changing to meet a moving goal of providing the best services possible to the community. I am constantly changing and adapting my leadership style to meet the demands of a growing organization and community and readying myself for whatever is next in my career,” said Fuller. He recently completed a four-year training course from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program. The EFOP is a series of four graduate equivalent courses with four applied research projects with concentrations on executive development, community risk reduction, fire services in emergency operations and leadership. urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 21