Coeur d'Alene voters back $16.4M bond for fire department

Coeur d’Alene voters approved a $16.4 million, 10-year general obligation bond to help fund the city’s fire department. The bond needed a supermajority of 66 2/3% of the votes to pass, and it received 74.87%. 

The estimated average annual cost to the taxpayer on the bond levy is a tax of $16.07 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, per year, based on current conditions, according to the fire department.   

“This bond is an investment in the safety of our community,” Fire Chief Tom Greif previously told the press.    

Greif said the money would be used to upgrade and rebuild fire stations, as well as replace an aging fleet of vehicles. 

The estimated cost to rebuild Station No. 2 and maintain department operations during construction is $6 million, according to the fire department. The station was built in 1992 and was designed for only two firefighters. It now houses double that number per shift and responds to 35% of the city’s emergency calls. 

Upgrades are planned for Station No. 1 and an expansion is planned for Station No. 3. 

The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department also needs to replace eight aging fire trucks and other fleet vehicles at an estimated cost of $10 million. 

The department is busy. It responded to 10,591 emergency calls in 2024, which is a 5.7% increase over 2023 and a 35% increase over the last 10 years.