135th Annual State Firefighters Convention To Be Held At Rough Rider Center In Watford City

This year will be the first-ever Firefighters Convention hosted by the Watford City Fire Department. The 135th Annual North Dakota State Firefighters Convention will take place at the Rough Rider Center located at 2209 Wolves Den Parkway, Watford City. The convention will start at 8 a.m. on Thursday, May 30 and conclude on Saturday, June 1. Attendees will consist of North Dakota Firefighters Association members which comprises primarily of all the fire departments in the state of North Dakota, approximately 300 firefighters including spouses are expected to attend. The convention will begin with a golf scramble at the Fox Hills Golf Course on Thursday, May 30. There will be registration followed by a Fire Chief's meeting and a social and barbecue. On Friday, May 31, the convention reconvenes with a Memorial Service honoring members of the North Dakota Fire Department that have passed away since the last convention. Various other reports and business will be conducted as well as Keynote Speaker, Robert J. Darling Lt Col USMC (Ret) who will be presen: 24 Hours Inside the President Bunker; 9-11-01: The White House. At 4 p.m. there will be a parade on Watford City's main street which the Watford City Fire Department encourages the general public to attend. Friday evening there is a banquet and entertainment for the attendees. On Saturday, June 1, an election of officer positions as well as final reports will conclude the convention. "The purpose of the convention is to conduct the business meeting of the North Dakota Firefighters Association and provide an opportunity to socialize with other firefighters from across the State," said Chairmen of the Convention Committee, Jeff Gronos. The North Dakota Firefighters Association has had an annual convention each year that rotates between host cities throughout the state of North Dakota. "In 2016, the Watford City Fire Department attended the North Dakota Firefighters Annual Convention in Bottineau, ND and submitted their nomination and was unanimously elected to host the 135th Annual Fire Convention in 2019," explained Gronos. The Watford City Fire Department is looking forward to hosting its first ever North Dakota Firefighters Annual Convention and is excited to showcase all that the Watford City area has to offer.