County profile
Northwest Arctic County, AK 6 departments
Fire department coverage, staffing, and EMS data for Northwest Arctic County, part of Alaska.
Department Types
Fire Departments in Northwest Arctic County
| Department | Type | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| AMBLER VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Ambler | other | — |
| BUCKLAND FIRE AND RESCUE Buckland | other | — |
| KOTZEBUE FIRE DEPARTMENT Kotzebue · EMS | volunteer | 37 |
| NOORVIK FIRE DEPARTMENT Noorvik | other | — |
| RED DOG MINE EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT Kivalina · EMS | other | — |
| SHUNGNAK VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Shungnak | other | — |
What the Fire Coverage Data Means for Northwest Arctic County, AK
Northwest Arctic County reports 6 fire departments in the federal HIFLD registry, staffed by approximately 37 total personnel. The organizational breakdown matters because career, volunteer, and combination departments differ sharply in response time, funding, and training cadence: this county lists 0 career (paid), 1 volunteer, and 0 combination departments. 2 of these departments also provides Emergency Medical Services, meaning the same crews that arrive on a structure fire can often begin patient care on cardiac or trauma calls without waiting for a separate ambulance agency.
Benchmarking the county against its parent state highlights coverage gaps and strengths. Alaska overall averages roughly 17 personnel per department across 286 departments. Northwest Arctic County averages 6 personnel per department, 65% below the state mean. Lighter staffing per department is common in rural counties where a larger number of small volunteer companies share territory. The state reports about 4,100 fires and 18 fire deaths annually, and 38% of its departments are volunteer-run.
Residents, property owners, and insurance agents can use this profile in several practical ways. A home inside a career or combination department's first-due area typically earns better ISO Public Protection Classification ratings and lower homeowners premiums than one served solely by a distant volunteer station. If the county is heavily volunteer, it is worth checking whether the nearest department has recent FEMA AFG or SAFER grants and whether mutual-aid agreements extend coverage during large incidents. Click into any department below to see its specific personnel count, station footprint, apparatus inventory, EMS status, and FEMA grant history. All figures come from HIFLD Open Data (FEMA/DHS) and USFA published fire statistics; small volunteer departments are sometimes underreported, so treat zero-value fields as missing data rather than absent services.
FAQ
How many fire departments are in Northwest Arctic County, AK? ▼
Northwest Arctic County, AK has 6 fire departments with available federal data. 1 volunteer,
Does Northwest Arctic County have EMS coverage? ▼
Yes — 2 departments in Northwest Arctic County provide EMS services.
How many firefighters serve Northwest Arctic County? ▼
Northwest Arctic County has 37 total fire department personnel across 6 departments. The average per department is 6, which is 65% below the Alaska average.
Are Northwest Arctic County fire departments mostly volunteer? ▼
Northwest Arctic County has a mix: 0 career, 1 volunteer, 0 combination.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Top fire departments in Northwest Arctic, AK
Source: U.S. Fire Administration — National Fire Department Registry NFDR (National Fire Department Registry) · 2024 NFDR is a voluntary registry; not all departments may be included. Personnel counts include both career and volunteer staff.
