Fire Chief Steven Dirksen will retire from the Fargo Fire Department on Friday, May 16, 2025, concluding a distinguished career of 36 years in the fire service. “Through dedicated, selfless leadership, Chief Dirksen has demonstrated a true commitment to emergency preparedness, community safety and firefighter well-being,” Mayor Dr. Tim Mahoney said. “We are extremely grateful for his years of outstanding public service.”
Chief Dirksen first became a firefighter in 1989 as a member of the Rock Valley Fire Department in Iowa. In 1994, he joined Sioux Falls Fire Rescue in South Dakota, where he advanced through the ranks to Battalion Chief. The City of Fargo hired him as Fire Chief in November 2011.
Leading the Fargo Fire Department, Chief Dirksen placed a priority on balancing community risk reduction with professional emergency response. Under Dirksen, the Fire Department developed policies, procedures and planning documents that allowed it to become one of 124 fire departments that are internationally accredited and hold an Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 1 designation. As a key stakeholder in the metro area’s emergency management and preparedness, Chief Dirksen helped spearhead plans to relocate the Red River Regional Dispatch Center to a more secure site. Dirksen also guided the construction of Fire Station No. 8, which opened in October 2024 to serve Fargo’s south end, and he oversaw the ongoing renovation of Fire Station No. 5. “Chief Dirksen has skillfully guided the Fargo Fire Department in adapting to the evolving needs of a growing city,” City Administrator Michael Redlinger said. “His strategic vision has left a lasting impact on the department and the city it serves.”
As Fire Chief, Dirksen recognized that firefighters face increasing exposure to traumatic calls, and he led efforts to establish peer-support programs, a department chaplain and regular mental health check-ins with licensed professionals. “A hallmark of Chief Dirksen’s legacy is his attention to firefighter health and well-being. He successfully translated his care and consideration for his fire crews into department practices that will benefit generations of Fargo firefighters,” Deputy Mayor Denise Kolpack said.
In reflecting on his time as Fire Chief, Dirksen expressed his gratitude to the Fire Department and the community. “It has been a privilege to serve alongside such dedicated professionals and to be entrusted by the community to lead this organization,” Chief Dirksen said. “Thank you to The City of Fargo and its residents for your unwavering support of our department. Your trust, encouragement and partnership have been essential to our success, and it has been my honor to serve as your Fire Chief.”