Alpha One Fire & Rescue
Wildland & Structural Fire Protection
for all citizens in the community of Wounded Knee and surrounding areas
Our Partners
About Alpha One
The Road to Alpha One
In 2019, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians donated $1M to the Oglala Lakota Structural Fire Department to create the first Structural Fire Department. This organization was also awarded a Bush Foundation Grant for $321,063 in 2022. Despite all their success with funding and grants, the fire department was never built due to mismanagement and malfeasance. Soon after, the IRS revoked the Oglala Lakota Structural Fire Department's non-profit status for failure to file their taxes since 2019. This allowed for Alpha One to be created in 2022.
Plume Inc. establishes a Volunteer Fire Department in Northern Wounded Knee District.
In 2022, Plume Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and parent, created Alpha One Fire & Rescue. The purpose was to alleviate the high cost of homeowners' insurance for many in central Oglala Lakota County. Homeownership is difficult due to not having a capable fire department to handle structure fires.
Oglala Lakota County
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is in the expansive Oglala Lakota County, rich in culture and history. By state law, the elected commissioners of Oglala Lakota County are obligated to allocate financial resources to eligible fire departments operating within their jurisdiction. However, there has been a concerning lack of timely distribution of these funds. As the county approaches the second consecutive year without any monetary allocation, it is noteworthy that, despite this financial shortfall, Alpha One's operations remain uninterrupted and resilient.
Odds with the Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Wounded Knee District is the highest fire risk community on the Reservation. Despite Alpha One's proximity and quick deployment, the Bureau of Indian Affairs superintendent refuses to act in the best interest of the Oglala Lakota Nation and establish a fire protection agreement with Alpha One. This violates the Indian Preference policy set forth by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of the Interior. Despite this, Alpha One still dispatches its brush trucks because the Bureau of Indian Affairs Fire Agency cannot respond with lights, sirens, or go beyond the posted speed limit in response to a wildland fire.
Annual Income of Residents
Recent reports vary but many point out that the median income on the Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately $2,600 to $3,500 per year. The highest amount of $3,500 equates to $145 every 2 weeks. This creates fundraising issues that other fire departments would otherwise benefit from.
Economic Disparities Across the Pine Ridge Reservation
While the Pine Ridge village serves as the central hub for nearly all economic development, infrastructure projects, and employment opportunities, this concentration of resources comes at a steep cost to the rest of the reservation. The majority of development funds, business investments, and program benefits are funneled into Pine Ridge, leaving communities in the other eight districts—Wakpamni, Porcupine, Oglala, White Clay, Eagle Nest, Medicine Root, Pass Creek, and Wounded Knee—with minimal access to the same opportunities.
This imbalance fosters a system where residents outside of Pine Ridge are treated as lesser equals, often overlooked when it comes to investment and growth. The consequences are severe:
- Increased poverty rates in already economically fragile districts.
- Reduced local job creation in rural areas, forcing residents to travel long distances or relocate.
- Erosion of community stability as economic activity drains toward the central hub.
- Decline in district-level infrastructure, leaving many communities without adequate roads, utilities, and public facilities.
While Pine Ridge’s position as the economic center may benefit those living nearby, it creates havoc for the remainder of the reservation by deepening inequality, weakening local economies, and limiting pathways out of poverty for thousands of Oglala Lakota citizens. Addressing this inequity is critical to building a balanced and sustainable economic future for all nine districts.
Grant Funding Challenges
Many tribal grants for which Alpha One is eligible necessitate tribal support or a formal resolution of support. Regrettably, the Oglala Sioux Tribe requires 45% indirect costs on any successful grants if it lends its support, which must be allocated to the Tribe, thereby restricting the remaining grant funds for the awardee's use. This stipulation is not aligned with our mission or is not an allowable cost for which we applied. This requirement further complicates the funding landscape for organizations such as Alpha One.
Oglala Sioux Tribe/Pine Ridge Reservation
The Pine Ridge Reservation spans 3,469 square miles—over 2.1 million acres—across three counties in southwestern South Dakota. At 11.5 times the size of New York City, its vastness is matched by its cultural and historical importance. Home to the Oglala Lakota Nation, the reservation is divided into nine districts: Pine Ridge, Wakpamni, Porcupine, Oglala, White Clay, Eagle Nest, Medicine Root, Pass Creek, and Wounded Knee. Each district holds its own communities, stories, and traditions, woven together by a shared Lakota heritage. Traveling through its sweeping prairies, rugged badlands, and historic landmarks offers both breathtaking views and a journey through a living history that continues to shape the Lakota people today.
"When politics comes before safety, danger comes before help."
The Oglala Sioux Tribe Emergency Management holds control over dispatch and determines which fire departments are paged for emergencies. Despite Alpha One Fire & Rescue’s close proximity and proven capabilities, this program detests our department and have routinely undermined the safety of lives and property by bypassing us and paging fire departments located over an hour away. Emergency Management is not a fire department, yet they attempt to act as one—overstepping their role while making decisions that delay response times and furthering community risk.
In addition, they have attempted to solicit donations using Alpha One’s name without our consent, misrepresenting our organization and eroding the trust we have worked hard to build with donors. Further attempts were made by Emergency Management to quell Alpha One's success which made Oglala Lakota Structural Firefighters organization, a thing of the past and millions of dollars unaccounted for.
During the 2024 wildland fire in Wounded Knee, Alpha One Fire & Rescue was the first department on scene and remained engaged in firefighting operations for over 16 consecutive hours. Other off reservation fire departments arrived later in the response effort.
In the later hours of the incident, food was delivered to the site to provide nourishment for all essential personnel working the fire. However, Alpha One members were not notified of the food’s arrival. This was due to a decision made by Emergency Management, who refused to inform Alpha One personnel of the available provisions for all responders. As a result, Alpha One firefighters continued operations without access to the same relief resources provided to other responding departments.
"No matter the resistance, Alpha One’s promise is unbroken: we are here for all people
Where is Alpha One located?
Alpha One Fire & Rescue is a dedicated emergency response organization in the Central Wounded Knee District of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, specifically within the Crazy Horse community. This location is right on the Badlands border, characterized by its unique geological formations and challenging terrain.
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