North Star Volunteer Fire Dept
North Star Volunteer Fire Department provides fire suppression, EMS, and rescue services to 25,000 residents across a 105-square-mile interior Alaska service area via 5 stations, 50 volunteers, and 15 full-time staff, funded as a Fire Service Area entity.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersNorth Pole, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What North Star Volunteer Fire Dept does
North Star Volunteer Fire Department is a public safety organization established in 1975 that delivers emergency fire, medical, and rescue services to approximately 25,000 residents across a 105 square-mile service area in interior Alaska, situated between Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base southeast of Fairbanks. The department operates 5 fire stations (Stations 31-35) with 12 fire apparatus and is staffed by 50 volunteers and 15 full-time personnel; Station 31 at 2358 Bradway Road, North Pole, AK is staffed 24/7, 365 days per year, while outlying stations are staffed by live-in volunteers and scholarship participants. Annual emergency call volume averages 900 incidents, with year-to-date 2025 (961) exceeding recent prior years (2024: 853, 2023: 771, 2022: 885). Service categories include fire suppression, emergency medical response, motor vehicle accidents, hazardous material response, wildfires, off-road and water rescues, and structural collapse response.
Beyond core emergency response, the department runs a portfolio of community programs including home safety checks with smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector installation, a chimney brush borrow program, burn permits, and public fire safety education. The department operates a distinctive live-in/scholarship model in which student firefighters receive free station housing, hourly compensation for 24-hour rotating shifts, and up to $6,900 per semester in tuition reimbursement under a consortium arrangement with the University of Alaska Fairbanks and three neighboring departments (Chena-Goldstream Fire & Rescue, Steese VFD, and University Fire Department). A single shared application covers all four consortium departments.
The business and funding model is governmental: as a designated Fire Service Area entity, North Star VFD is funded through public sources to serve its assigned community, with no commercial revenue and no disclosed pricing. The department has no proprietary technology platform, no mobile application, no API, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities; digital presence is limited to a website used for recruitment, daily fire danger updates, and community contact. Leadership consists of Fire Chief Geoff Coon (appointed 2021), Deputy Chief Kevin Harvey (appointed 2022), Office Manager Elise Marbury, Captain William Wright (Fire Prevention), and Engineer Kyle Kruskie (Scholarship Program).
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- North Star Volunteer Fire Dept
- Legal name
- North Star Volunteer Fire Department
- Website
- https://northstarfire.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- North Star Volunteer Fire Department provides fire suppression, EMS, and rescue services to 25,000 residents across a 105-square-mile interior Alaska service area via 5 stations, 50 volunteers, and 15 full-time staff, funded as a Fire Service Area entity.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Safety Services
- NAICS
- Fire Protection (922160)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL), Firefighter & Fire Service Training (EDAOAMAB)
Keywords
Where North Star Volunteer Fire Dept is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Pole
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Government/Tax Funding: As a Fire Service Area department, North Star VFD is funded through public/governmental sources to provide emergency services to the community. Specific funding structure not disclosed in available materials.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Student/Scholarship Firefighter Program - provides education reimbursement, free housing, and employment |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept product offering
Product offeringCore offering
North Star Volunteer Fire Department provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, and specialized rescue operations (motor vehicle accidents, hazardous materials, wildfires, off-road, water, and structural collapse) to approximately 25,000 residents across a 105 square mile North Star Fire Service Area located between Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska. The department operates 5 fire stations with 12 fire apparatus and is staffed by 50 volunteers and 15 full-time staff, with Station 31 staffed 24/7, 365 days a year. It also offers public education, fire prevention programs, and a scholarship-based student firefighter program in partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Product overview
North Star Volunteer Fire Department operates as a volunteer emergency services organization providing fire suppression, emergency medical response, and specialized rescue services (motor vehicle accidents, hazardous materials, wildfires, off-road rescues, water rescues, and structural collapse) across its 105 square mile service area. The department operates five fire stations (31-35) with 12 fire apparatus, staffing Station 31 24/7, 365 days per year. Beyond core emergency response, the department offers public safety programs including home safety inspections with smoke/CO detector installation, a chimney brush borrow program, and a scholarship program allowing students to live at stations for free while pursuing firefighting certifications and college degrees through a consortium with the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Emergency Fire and EMS Response Services All-hazards emergency response including fire suppression, emergency medical services, motor vehicle accident response, hazardous material response, wildfire response, off-road rescues, water rescues, and structural collapse response. Provided to approximately 25,000 residents across a 105 square mile North Star Fire Service Area near Fairbanks, Alaska. The department responds to roughly 900 calls per year (2024: 853; 2023: 771; 2022: 885).
- Home Safety Check Program Home safety inspections with installation of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors for residents within the North Star Fire Service Area. Residents call to make an appointment.
- Chimney Brush Borrow Program Free chimney brushes available to borrow on a first-come, first-served basis to help residents sweep chimneys and prevent residential chimney fires.
- Student/Scholarship Firefighter Program A consortium-based scholarship program allowing students to earn a degree while gaining real-world emergency services experience. Includes $6,900 per semester reimbursement (Alaska Resident Rate) covering 12 credit hours, university fees, course/material fees, textbooks, parking, and meals; free fire station dorm room; hourly work on rotating 24-hour shifts; and IFSAC/ProBoard Firefighter I certification through UAF Community & Technical College.
- Station 31 Live-In Volunteer Program Live-at-station volunteer program offering free housing at fire stations in exchange for volunteer service, with 16 volunteers currently housed across stations 24/7, supporting rapid response capability within the service area.
- Burn Permits Burn permit application service for residents in the Fairbanks area, administered through the Alaska Department of Natural Resources burn permit form.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves 25,000 people in 105 square mile service area
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use North Star Volunteer Fire Dept
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Chena-Goldstream Fire & RescuecoreCollaborative partnership for joint firefighter recruitment and education consortium. Four fire departments (North Star VFD, Chena-Goldstream Fire & Rescue, Steese VFD, and University Fire Department) have developed a unified recruitment process for student firefighters combining real-world emergency services experience with college education at University of Alaska Fairbanks. One application applies to all consortium departments.
- Steese Volunteer Fire DepartmentcoreCollaborative partnership for joint firefighter recruitment and education consortium. Four fire departments have developed a unified recruitment process for student firefighters combining real-world emergency services experience with college education at University of Alaska Fairbanks. Contact: Deputy Chief David Daniell at 907-457-3710.
- University Fire Department (University of Alaska Fairbanks)coreCollaborative partnership for joint firefighter recruitment and education consortium. The University Fire Department offers the nationally-known program where students can earn $25,000-$30,000 per year, respond to actual emergencies as certified firefighters/EMTs, earn a college degree, and 90% of alumni have successful careers in emergency services. Contact: Captain David Mattox at 907-474-5770.
- University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)coreEducational institution partner in the firefighter scholarship consortium. UAF Community & Technical College offers Firefighter Academy for IFSAC/Proboard Firefighter I certification. The scholarship program covers 12 credit hours per semester at Alaska Resident Rate with reimbursement of $6,900 per semester including tuition, fees, books, parking, and meals.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Fort Wainwright Fire Department: Military installation fire department located within North Star VFD's service area. Provides overlap/coordination on incidents and represents a comparable response organization in the same geography with materially different funding and staffing structure.
- Tok Volunteer Fire Department: Volunteer fire/EMS department serving a rural interior-Alaska community along the Alaska Highway. Operates with a comparable volunteer-led, tax-funded model in a remote, low-population service area, making it a structural analog for funding and staffing challenges.
- Delta Junction Volunteer Fire Department: Volunteer fire department serving Delta Junction in interior Alaska. Comparable in geographic and demographic context to North Star VFD — small population, large service area, volunteer-driven — making it a useful operational peer despite the distance.
- City of Fairbanks Fire Department: Career municipal fire department serving the adjacent City of Fairbanks. Comparable in service mix (fire, EMS, rescue) but operates as a paid department rather than a volunteer model, providing a regional comparison point for staffing and budget scale.
- Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection: State agency responsible for wildland fire suppression across Alaska. While focused on wildland rather than structural fire, it is a direct coordination partner for the wildfire response calls North Star VFD handles.
Direct peers
- Chena-Goldstream Fire & Rescue: Neighboring volunteer fire/EMS department and explicit consortium partner with North Star VFD for joint student-firefighter recruitment and scholarship program. Operates in a similar Alaska interior community model with comparable service-area funding.
- University Fire Department (University of Alaska Fairbanks): University-based fire department embedded in the same scholarship consortium; runs a nationally recognized student-firefighter program paying $25,000–$30,000/year and reports 90% of alumni in successful emergency-services careers — directly comparable talent-pipeline model.
- Steese Volunteer Fire Department: Alaska interior volunteer fire department that is one of four members in the shared student-firefighter scholarship consortium with North Star VFD, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Chena-Goldstream — directly comparable in operational model and recruitment approach.
Others
- National Volunteer Fire Council: National membership and advocacy organization for volunteer fire/EMS departments. Not a peer in service delivery, but the principal industry body relevant to North Star VFD's volunteer model, funding advocacy, and recruitment support.
- International Association of Fire Chiefs: Industry association supporting fire and emergency service leaders globally. Provides leadership, training, and policy frameworks relevant to a small-department chief operating a volunteer organization with scholarship/resident programs.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept social profiles
Digital presenceNorth Star Volunteer Fire Dept financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about North Star Volunteer Fire Dept
What does North Star Volunteer Fire Dept do?
North Star Volunteer Fire Department provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, and specialized rescue operations (motor vehicle accidents, hazardous materials, wildfires, off-road, water, and structural collapse) to approximately 25,000 residents across a 105 square mile North Star Fire Service Area located between Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska. The department operates 5 fire stations with 12 fire apparatus and is staffed by 50 volunteers and 15 full-time staff, with Station 31 staffed 24/7, 365 days a year. It also offers public education, fire prevention programs, and a scholarship-based student firefighter program in partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Is North Star Volunteer Fire Dept a public or private company?
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was North Star Volunteer Fire Dept founded?
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept was founded in 1975. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is North Star Volunteer Fire Dept based?
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept is headquartered in North Pole, United States, in the North America region.
How does North Star Volunteer Fire Dept make money?
One revenue line is on record: government/Tax Funding.
Who are North Star Volunteer Fire Dept's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Fort Wainwright Fire Department, Tok Volunteer Fire Department, Delta Junction Volunteer Fire Department, City of Fairbanks Fire Department and Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection. Direct peers are Chena-Goldstream Fire & Rescue, University Fire Department (University of Alaska Fairbanks) and Steese Volunteer Fire Department. Others are National Volunteer Fire Council and International Association of Fire Chiefs.
Does North Star Volunteer Fire Dept have an API?
No public API is recorded for North Star Volunteer Fire Dept.
What industry is North Star Volunteer Fire Dept in?
North Star Volunteer Fire Dept's product category is Public Safety Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAGAB, Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue), with a secondary code of BPAIACAL, Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management). Its NAICS code is 922160.