By Clark Corbin
Idaho Falls Post Reporter
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Its sign removed and its garages dark and silent, the busiest fire station in Idaho Falls has sat vacant since May.
Bonneville County Fire District No. 1 officials said they moved Fire Station No. 2 from Idaho Falls to Bonneville County to offer better fire protection to county residents.
But the move may mean slightly longer response times for crews responding to fire calls at Idaho Falls residences and businesses located near the shuttered station.
In May, firefighters abandoned Fire Station No. 2 at 1695 Lincoln Road and moved into a new building at 3475 Leihm Lane, near the intersection of Lincoln and Ammon roads.
The move means a station that had been located inside city limits was pushed nearly two miles down Lincoln Road into the less-populated county.
Idaho Falls Fire Department Division Chief David Coffey said the new station offers considerable upgrades, more room to store vital emergency equipment and updated technology. But he also said he was not consulted before the old station was closed.
""The fire commissioners, they did not consult at all with the city of Idaho Falls Fire Department when they chose to move their Fire Station No. 2,"" Coffey said.
Fire Commissioner Dan Gubler said the old station — built in 1977 — had grown cramped and antiquated. The need for upgrades coupled with the small lot size where the station was situated prompted the relocation.
""We tried to accommodate everything as best we could, but understand that because of how the contract is set up, my responsibility as a fire commissioner is not to the city of Idaho Falls and the patrons of Idaho Falls,"" Gubler said. ""We moved the station out to the county to benefit more patrons in the county, and it’s something we thought about long and hard.""
Coffey said he sees advantages and disadvantages to the move.
""My take is, in the city, a few residents on the border will have a little longer delay,"" Coffey said. ""When we say delay, we’re talking minutes, nothing huge. If it had been a huge issue, it would have been addressed.""
When the shuttered station was built at a cost of $209,000 in 1977, the city picked up two-thirds of the bill and the fire district footed one-third of the cost.
In 1991, the Idaho Falls Fire Department and the fire district entered a contractual cooperation agreement. Under the agreement, the Idaho Falls Fire Department provides all the manpower to fight fires, and the district pays the city a fee every year and purchases equipment.
As the agreement was formed, the fire district bought out the city’s share of Station No. 2. As the owner of the facility, the district was free to do with it what it pleased.
This year, the new station was built at a cost of $730,000, Gubler said. District officials paid for it out of reserve funds and did not require a bond election to cover the costs.
The district makes its money by assessing a 3 percent tax to residents of the district. District officials invest that money in new equipment - all district fire equipment is red, and the city’s trucks are yellow.
The district also pays the city a yearly fee, which totaled $1.6 million last year and covered wages and benefits for 14 of the city’s 99 firefighters. That money was included in the combined $13.5 million Idaho Falls Fire Department/fire district/ambulance service budget.
According to the department’s 2011 annual report, the average response time within city limits was 4.4 minutes. The average response time in the county, which Gubler sought to improve, was 8.8 minutes.
Gubler said he doesn’t think safety was compromised by moving the station.
""I don’t personally believe their response times (within city limits) will be affected greatly because of that,"" he said.
Emergency response times are one of many factors insurance companies use to set rates and premium prices. Coffey said those costs often are calculated using an insurance service office or ISO rating between one and 10, with 10 the worst. The city’s ISO rating was a three before the relocation and has not changed, Coffey said.
Steve Dutcher, the controller at Action Motor Sports, 1355 Lincoln Road, said the station closure was unlikely to affect his business.
""As far as insurance goes, that’s not going to affect it at all,"" Dutcher said. ""(Firefighters) will still respond; it’s just a couple more miles down the road and doesn’t affect us too much.""
Angela Thorpe, an Idaho spokeswoman for State Farm Insurance, said moving the station alone will not automatically cause customers’ insurance rates to increase.
Idaho Falls City Council member Ken Taylor said city leaders were aware the station would be closed and passed on a chance to buy it.
There was no city vote to approve closing the station, as it was owned by the district, Taylor said.
Idaho Falls firefighters staff four other fire stations, each of which is owned by the city and located within city limits.
The old station has been appraised at $252,000. It’s scheduled to be auctioned at 11 a.m. Thursday at the site.
The contractual agreement between the city’s fire department and the fire district is set to expire next year, and Taylor said city officials are preparing to negotiate a similar deal.
Looking ahead, Gubler said the new station is part of a broader plan to increase fire protection outside city limits. In coming years, fire district officials plan to build two new fire stations in the county. One would be situated on the west side of town near Herb’s EZ Stop. Another would be built south of town.
""Out in the county, residents pay a greater fee for homeowner insurance based on how far away they are from a station,"" Gubler said. ""Our intent to build the station wasn’t based on animosity with the city or anything like that. It’s designed to be positive for our patrons out in the county and still meet the needs for fire service.""
Clark Corbin can be reached at 542-6761. Comment on this story on Post Talk, www.postregister.com/
Copyright 2012 The Post Register