Fire tower to rise at KCFR

POST FALLS - Construction on Kootenai County Fire and Rescue's new $1.1 million training facility starts this week.

The structure, which will be next to the agency's administration building on Seltice Way, will feature a five-story tower and attached two-story residential section.

Completion by Elmer Construction of Spokane is expected in mid-December, said Chief Ron Sampert.

"We've been working on this design for three years to determine what would make it the best venue for our folks," Sampert said. "I've sent personnel all over the Northwest looking at towers already built. We've done a tremendous amount of research on this."

KCFR employs 55 full-timers and covers Post Falls, Dalton Gardens, Stateline, Fernan Village, Huetter and Wolf Lodge.

KCFR will perform a variety of training exercises at the facility, including attacking fires from ladders on the outside to search rescues on the inside.

The building is plumbed for artificial smoke, but burning will not be done on the inside like at the structure on Ramsey Road in Coeur d'Alene.

"The problem with burning inside is that the things get sooted up and become disgustingly dirty," Sampert said. "If we try to keep it as clean as possible, that's better off for the equipment long term and it will last longer."

The other major difference from the Coeur d'Alene facility is that it will be concrete block rather than steel.

"The evaluations to be performed there will be similar," Sampert said.

The project will not raise taxes and is being funded with General Fund dollars the district has saved since Post Falls Fire and Kootenai County Fire Protection District No. 1 merged in 2001.

"If we didn't spend money on fuel, electricity or other costs, it went to that savings," Sampert said. "Pretty soon, it added up."

Sampert said the facility will allow KCFR to train without having to borrow other buildings such as schools and businesses.

"We won't have to climb on everyone else's roofs or ladder their buildings to do rescues," he said. "We can do it right here."

KCFR has used Coeur d'Alene Fire's facility, but being out of district means a smaller staff that is in district or paying overtime to make the training happen, Sampert said.

Sampert said Coeur d'Alene and other area agencies, including police, will be able to use KCFR's facility if need be and it may continue to use Coeur d'Alene's for certain exercises.

"We will not turn away anyone who wants to use it," he said.

The project will include site work that will make it more aesthetically pleasing.

KCFR will continue to do practice burns on buildings when it's granted permission.

"We'll still continue to do those, but they only become available every so often," Sampert said.

Voters earlier this month rejected a $2 million bond that would have, among other things, allowed a burn building for live fire training. Sampert said the KCFR board has not discussed whether to float another bond in the foreseeable future.