Kootenai County Fire & Rescue recently held a ground-breaking ceremony for its $15 million Station 4. Officials hope to have the 10,500-square-foot facility up and running in about 12 months.
The new digs, which will replace a 47-year-old station, will have three bay stations, a sleeping room for eight firefighters, training facilities, backup generators, and decon zones.
Once complete, its predecessor will be sold, reports krem.com. The new station is expected to cut four to six minutes off department response time.
The project is being funded by a general obligation bond that received 78% voter approval last May, the report says. The bond also reserves funds for the relocation of Station 3.
The Kootenai County Fair Board is leasing the property to the department for 50 years for $368,000—an amount officials say it would have received in parking revenue during that span.