Support Northern Lakes levy

As we vote on Nov. 6 in the general election, we all have major decisions to make. The primary vote is for president of the United States which will affect our country. Another very important vote is for the Northern Lakes Fire District Levy that will affect all of us locally.

We are very good at supporting our school levies for our children and teachers. This fire levy is as important as it can and will affect all of us; from the health and safety of our children to our senior citizens, and mitigating major damage to our homes, property and business. Also, a more efficient fire department could positively affect the insurance rates of our homes and business.

As a retired firefighter with 30 years of service, serving in all ranks, I would like to try and present some pertinent facts.

The fire service is one of the most complex and dangerous jobs in this country; it is rated No. 1 as the most stressful. Every rank is a specialty. Personnel must be trained and stay certified to maintain proficiency in their job assignment. There are many hours of training and studying for each position. Every type of emergency and every tool and equipment must be frequently trained on, some daily and some yearly to maintain certification and proficiency. It takes years responding to actual emergencies to actually gain the expertise required to be proficient in this occupation.

Firefighters also are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). Some firefighters are paramedics and specially trained for advanced medical care. There are many different emergencies firefighters are called for, as well as many non emergencies which I cannot list in entirety in this article.

Northern Lakes, Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County fire departments have very dedicated personnel and work extremely hard keeping all of us safe. They all could use help with adequate staffing, fire stations, modern fire trucks and equipment, especially the Northern Lakes Fire District. Also, the three departments work together daily on mutual aid calls for the most efficient and cost savings for each department and cities. Northern Lakes must be able to provide service to the district but also maintain their commitment to the other departments. Mutual aid works both ways; you give to your neighboring cities and also receive aid when needed.

In a July 28, 2012, Spokesman-Review article, a public opinion survey of "National Assets" of most professions, 94 percent of Americans described firefighters as the most valuable figures and institutions in our society. Our firefighters locally are just as valuable and dedicated as those nationally and deserve your support.

North Idaho is a fast growing community with fire and rescue calls increasing each year. We need to move into the 21st century and support our safety services. We are no longer a small town of 300-500 people. The 2010 Census shows Kootenai County with a population of over 138,000 and covering 1,244 square miles. In the summer our population significantly increases, impacting our fire departments.

I would like to see the fire department properly staffed to immediately respond to calls with physically fit and trained personnel with updated equipment within 5-10 minutes. Time is crucial during an emergency.

I ask everyone to move into the 21st Century and support our dedicated firefighters to grow as our population has and will continue to grow. Let's not wait until there is a major emergency and not have the personnel and equipment to handle it.

The next emergency call may be for you and/or your family.

Let's show our support. Please vote yes on this important fire levy.

Mario Gagnon is a Hayden Lake resident and retired fire battalion chief.