How a Former Deputy Connects First Responders With NextGen Radio
The sun had barely dipped below the horizon when the radio crackled to life inside the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department. Jared Lemieux, then a night shift sergeant, had just arrived for duty. The air was thick with tension—he could feel it before he even reached his locker. Frantic voices spilled through the speakers, talking over one another.
Something was very wrong.
It didn’t take long for Lemieux to learn that a high-speed pursuit was unfolding across Bismarck, ND. A suspect with a violent history was on the run. And upon hearing that shots had been fired, Lemieux’s instincts kicked in. He grabbed his gear, met his lieutenant, and jumped into a squad car.
As they raced toward the scene, Lemieux’s thoughts flashed back to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests a few years earlier. Images of burning tires, Molotov cocktails, and nonstop crowds flooded his mind. But one memory stood out most—the silence amidst the chaos. During the protests, first responders often stood only feet apart yet still couldn’t communicate via radio because every agency operated on different systems.
Thankfully, things were different now. This time, Lemieux and his fellow officers had a new tool in their belt: North Dakota’s Statewide Interoperable Radio Network, or SIRN.
A System Designed to Save Lives
SIRN (pronounced “siren”) is more than a radio system. It’s a statewide network designed to unify communication across agencies—law enforcement, fire, EMS—especially during critical moments. North Dakota is leading the way, becoming one of the first states to implement such a robust interoperability framework. With towers rising across the state and counties transitioning one by one, SIRN is reshaping how first responders connect when it matters most.
And today, Lemieux is smack dab in the middle of it. (But more on that in a moment.)
During that high-speed chase, SIRN allowed Lemieux and his team to seamlessly coordinate with the Bismarck Police Department, North Dakota Highway Patrol, and several other agencies. It’s technology that has undoubtedly saved countless lives.
If Bismarck first responders hadn’t been able to hear us over the radio, they wouldn’t have been there in the first place,
Lemieux recalls. Things could have ended very differently that day. Thankfully, the criminal was apprehended, and our community was protected.
Winning Hearts, Minds, & Airwaves
Fast forward to today, Lemieux is still in the public safety game, but with a renewed purpose. After witnessing the lifesaving impact of SIRN firsthand, he felt called to join NDIT as SIRN Administrator. Now he spends his days traveling the state and introducing first responders to the very system that once helped him in the field.
Picture this: a hot, crowded community room in Dickinson, ND. Firefighters sit quietly with crossed arms and skeptical eyes fixed on Lemieux as he sets up his presentation equipment. The room is tense—not just from the heat, but from the hesitation surrounding this new system everyone’s been hearing about. Still, Lemieux clears his throat, fires up his PowerPoint presentation, and begins to talk about the lifesaving potential of SIRN.
They’d been doing things the same way for decades, just like to so many other North Dakota first responders I had presented to by that point,
Lemieux says. And here I was, telling them it was time to change. That isn’t always easy for these guys.
But Lemieux doesn’t do sales pitches—that’s not his style. Instead, he tells stories. He shares his own experiences: the high-speed chase, the DAPL protests, the moments when communication broke down and the moments when it saved the day. Slowly but surely, arms begin to uncross, expressions soften, and heads start to nod.
Months later, when Dickinson Rural Fire officially joined SIRN, Lemieux exhaled a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. They love it now,
he says with a smile. That’s the best part—seeing the shift. Knowing they’re safer and taken care of.
Driven by service, Lemieux is on a statewide journey to make sure every first responder has the power of SIRN behind them when it matters most.
A Mission Bigger Than a Badge
Whether he’s presenting to a room full of hesitant fire chiefs or racing to his kids’ softball games, Lemieux brings the same energy, empathy, and purpose to everything he does. As a football coach, former youth mentor, and proud dad of three, the Rolla, ND, native has always felt called to guide and care for others. It’s in his blood.
Lemieux comes from a long line of first responders: two brothers in law enforcement, a cousin who works as a dispatcher, an uncle who served in an air EMS unit, and several other relatives who’ve worn a badge or uniform. He’s proud to be part of a legacy of public safety.
It’s just who we are,
he says. Whether it’s loved ones or first responders we’ve never met—my family and I just want people to be safe.
Lemieux is the first to admit that his career change to NDIT was a little unorthodox. But what drew him in was more than the job—it was the sense of purpose and culture.
NDIT looks at you as a person,
he says. You don’t have to be a tech guru. They see your potential, your experience, your heart. They recognize your strengths and trust you to use them for the people of North Dakota. It’s truly a remarkable place.
Lemieux loves being part of a team that not only values first responders, but veterans. He also appreciates NDIT’s strong benefits package and the shared sense of purpose across the agency.
We’re not just pushing buttons,
Lemieux says. We’re serving other agencies. We’re serving citizens. That means something.
For Lemieux, family is everything—both at home and across the first responder community he serves. They inspire his work each day.
Ensuring Every Call Is Heard
In Lemieux’s world, communication isn’t just about technology. It’s about trust. It’s about timing. It’s about making sure that when someone calls for help, someone else hears them.
Thanks to him—and the team at NDIT—more people are hearing that call loud and clear.