Fired up at the fairgrounds

COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai County Fire & Rescue expects to have its newest station up and running next year.

KCFR Fire Chief Chris Way said that without a doubt, it was thanks to a collaborative effort.

“I'm pleased to say that we're the only people in the United States that have bipartisan support for anything right now,” he said during Thursday’s groundbreaking for the station at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds just north of Kathleen Avenue. Construction is projected to take about a year.

About 100 people came out on a cold, cloudy afternoon for the celebration that included speeches, handshakes and lots of thank yous.

The project is being funded by a $15 million general obligation bond that received 78% voter approval, 6,252 yes to 2,856 no votes, on May 18, 2021.

The bond also dedicates funds to relocate Station 3.

“We know that with the money that we're going to gain from this bond, we're going to do great things and we're going to be able to improve services for all of our constituents,” said KCFR Capt. Sam LaPresta, also president of Local 2856, the firefighters’ union.

Pam Houser, president of the KCFR board of commissioners, said everyone, men and women, firefighters and first responders, worked hard to get the bond passed.

She said they could not have gotten the votes “without their dedication to the task at hand.”

She thanked citizens, “who trusted us with this money to do the responsible thing.”

The 10,500-square-foot station will have three bay stations, a sleeping room for eight firefighters, training facilities, backup generators and safe zones to keep it contaminant-free. It will be manned by four to six firefighters.

When completed, the 47-year-old Station 4 by the Kroc Center will be closed and sold.

Way said the new station will give it better coverage of Dalton Gardens, Fernan and east of Coeur d’Alene.

Instead of being seven to nine minutes from Dalton Gardens, it will be three minutes away.

That pleased Dalton Gardens Mayor Dan Edwards.

“I know it's going to greatly enhance the response time for our citizens,” he said.

The Kootenai County Fair Board is leasing the property to KCFR for 50 years for $368,000, the amount it estimated it would have received in parking revenue over that time.

Kootenai County Fair Board Chairman Jerry Johnson said KCFR covers major events at the fairgrounds throughout the year.

“So this will get them a lot closer,” he said. “They'll be here and do a lot for us.”

Johnson said the property where the fire station will be built was not heavily used and gives the firefighters good access to U.S. 95 and Interstate 90.

“As a resident of Dalton Gardens, I'm excited they're finally going to have a lot better response to our community,” he said.

The station was designed by Miller Stauffer Architects and will be built by Gino Construction.

Kootenai County Commissioner Chris Fillios said, “This is a desperately needed collaborative effort to bring a level of service, or even to maintain a level of service, to our residents that we're all committed to.”