WINCHESTER - Construction is expected to begin in about a month on the new Woodside satellite fire station near Winchester, just as work on the new Craigmont fire station is nearing completion.
Kelly Dahlquist of the Clearwater Economic Development Association said Tuesday that Schacher Construction of Grangeville has been awarded the contract for the $130,000 satellite fire station. Schacher was also the contractor for the Craigmont station. Both stations are partially funded by an Idaho Community Development block grant of $350,000, along with private and corporate donations.
"The city of Craigmont and the Winchester Rural Fire District have worked together to achieve this goal," Dahlquist said. "The idea is for the city station to be the training center, storage facility and house city and rural trucks as well as the (emergency medical service)."
The Woodside satellite station will house trucks and have a water source. The station's location is designed to provide quick responses to the rural area and U.S. Highway 95.
The building is expected to be constructed using a large number of volunteers, as well as paid workers.
Meanwhile, the new Craigmont fire station is nearly completed and Shelley Ponozzo, Lewis County planning and zoning coordinator, said training classes will begin in the new building in June.
Dahlquist said the Idaho Department of Commerce, which awarded the grant, looked favorably on the fire station projects because they were a joint community effort and the buildings help meet the needs of the Lewis County hazard mitigation plan.
"Entities working together and sharing resources eliminates duplication of facilities and encourages more collaboration between the responding agencies," Dahlquist said.
Dave Hasz, Lewis County emergency response coordinator, said nearly all of the county will be covered by fire protection after the fire stations are completed. Only about 40 to 50 houses are not under the jurisdiction of any fire service, he said, and that's either because the homeowners opted out of the county's fire protection ordinance or the homes are located in remote areas too difficult to reach.
Hedberg may be contacted at [email protected] (208) 983-2326.
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