Chaplain calls for fire bond support

A 911 Shout Out!

I have proudly served as a volunteer chaplain with both the Post Falls Police Department and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. Experiencing the sadness, grief, and stress that comes with 911 calls is something that impacts every first responder. We often see people on one of the worst days of their life and have great compassion for what they are experiencing.

Before entering ministry over 40 years ago, I was a city manager. I know what it takes to find qualified and competent people that have the courage, stamina, and training to be the best at what they do. I can assure our citizens that they are being well-served by some of the best firefighters I’ve ever known.

I’ve personally seen the heartache that a first responder experiences when they believe that if their expertise and equipment could have arrived just a few minutes sooner the victim might have been saved.

Our firefighters and the community deserve the best! Unfortunately, some in our community have politicized the KCFR Bond or have tied it to a trend of discouragement with government. Our exponential growth has created traffic congestion, new areas to cover, larger housing developments, and many multi-structure apartments requiring specialized equipment and training.

If we don’t get two new fire houses, more equipment, and an increase in the number of firefighters we can expect more delays in getting to people who need immediate assistance. For less that $90 a year to the average homeowner we can expand the Kootenai County Fire and Rescue operation to handle the 63% increase in calls since 2011.

Voting YES on the KCFR Bond on May 18 will assure us that when we have a 911 emergency firefighters and paramedics can reach our homes in a timely manner. Let’s get the vote out for those who serve us with such integrity and courage.

Chaplain Jim Grassi, D.Min., is a Post Falls resident.