CALDWELL, Idaho — At the city council meeting, the Caldwell Fire Department pushed for relocating Fire Station One to the old city hall site. They addressed the council's concerns about why they’re not considering Chicago Street, emphasizing the need for quick response times and strong community connections. The department also reassured the council that they have future plans for a new station on Chicago Street. Although the meeting was mainly for discussion, there was hope for reaching an agreement.
- Caldwell's City Council still deciding where Caldwell's oldest fire station will move.
- The department urging the Council to move the station to the old city hall site.
- Council worried for the Chicago street area due to future developments.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"That one minute does make that big of a difference," Deputy Chief of Operations Caldwell city fire department Matt Shupe.
During the City Council meeting, Members of the Caldwell fire department stepped forward to present city council members with more information and answer any concerns as to why fire station one should be relocated to the old city hall site.
"The Chicago property will cause impacts to response times to the Chicago core-door," said Shupe.
"What I want to be sure I am hearing from you is that you removed all the emotion from this equation because we know what you want," said council member Geoff Williams.
The fire department urged city council to understand why it is important for station one to be present in downtown area for community engagement.
They also explained the impacts of response times while being on the outer part of town.
"Chicago property to the current fire station one is just under one mile difference in terms to route not in terms as the crow flys but as the route and we look at as the fire increases it doubles in size every one minute that it burns that one extra just made your fire doubled in size," Said Shupe.
City councils members worry about the potential of need for station one to be in the Chicago street area due to future developments but the department already has plans for a potential fire station to be placed there in the future.
"Fire station is the cities it is the public's it is there fire department and having it downtown just keeps the bond with the community and the citizens and allows us to provide the services that they need for community engagement," Said Shupe.
"And we are educating our community and we are building a strong partnership so the community knows that we are here to serve and its beyond the perspective of sitting in a fire house waiting for calls," Said Caldwell Fire Chief Richard Frawley.
Although this meeting was for a discussion there were hopes to potentially come to an agreement.