Fire sparks concern about response time

HAYDEN LAKE — A fire that destroyed a home on the northeast side of Hayden Lake has ignited residents' concerns about firefighter response time in that area.

Although there is a fire station near Mokins Bay, not far from the home on Hayden Haven Road, crews from Northern Lakes Fire District’s main station on Hayden Avenue, miles away in the city of Hayden, responded to the July 5 fire.

Chief Pat Riley said there are only two volunteer firefighters who have completed the required training to respond from the remote Mokins Bay station and both of those volunteers were out of town during the incident.

Riley said the volunteer count in that area has dwindled due to the training demands of being a volunteer firefighter.

"Over time, that area has had a select few people able to meet the rigorous standards of being a volunteer firefighter as set forth by the National Fire Protection Association, which we adhere to for the safety of those we serve and serve with," he said.

"Most residents who desired to become volunteer firefighters were not able to maintain that standard or level of training due to travel and their current living situation. This is an issue that plagues the fire service across the country."

Riley said initial training to become a volunteer requires about 200 hours to be an EMT and 130 for a firefighter. Subsequent training is also required.

Len Bassett, a former fire captain in San Diego who lives near where the fire occurred, said he formerly trained volunteers at the Mokins Bay station before it was required to be done at the main station. The stipulation became an inconvenience for volunteers and the numbers subsequently fell.

"The big issue was training in town vs. training out there," Bassett said. "That's the straw that broke the camel's back (about eight years ago)."

Bassett said he believes money and politics also played a role as he attempted a legislative fix in which districts could go to voters for special levies to seek funding for such situations but the proposal didn't fly.

"It's always going to boil down to money and (fire districts) are afraid of litigation" in case something happens to a volunteer, Bassett said. "If you volunteer and sign a waiver, I'm not sure what they are afraid of."

Riley said the station constructed in 2000 was built to be staffed by volunteers and there are no plans to change that status to full-time firefighters. He said the station gets 10 to 20 calls for service annually.

"The fire district has made several attempts to solicit residents from that area to become volunteer firefighters, but most of the people in that area have indicated that they were not able to fulfill the time commitment for initial trainings and the ongoing refresher trainings that are required of all staff in the fire district," Riley said. "And I'm not going to put anybody not trained or qualified in a position that would jeopardize anyone's safety."

Resident Ken Tracy and some other neighbors said it took nearly an hour for crews to arrive at last month's fire. But Riley said, according to district records, the actual time from dispatch to arrival was 26 minutes, 30 seconds. He said crews were dispatched at 12:57 p.m. and arrived on scene at 1:23 p.m.

"The building was reported to be 85 percent involved at the time 911 was contacted," Riley said.

But Bassett said the difference in response time between the Hayden Avenue station and the closer one at Mokins Bay would likely have prevented further damage. The fire could have also easily spread to neighbors' homes.

"We dodged a major bullet," Bassett said. "Fortunately, the winds died down before the fire. We lucked out."

Tracy added: "It could have gotten way out of hand. Fortunately, the fire started in a metal structure so it was contained there longer than it would have been in a wooden structure."

Riley said a cause of the fire has not been determined, but fireworks aren't believed to be a factor. The owners of the home, Brad Scacco and Beth Gill, could not be reached for comment Monday.

Alan Meyers said it's unfortunate the district has a nice station with equipment inside and no one responded to the fire from there.

"It's a 10-minute drive at the very most from the station to the home," Meyers said. "I find it very disturbing that the (volunteer reduction) occurred before a backup plan was in place."

While Bassett said he has concerns, he also believes the fire department is doing the best it can with the resources it's given.

"The fire district is understaffed in my opinion," he said.

Bassett said he's also concerned because the water district has locked some of the fire hydrants in that area due to fears of water theft. He said taking bolt cutters to the locks takes more time to access water in emergencies.