Proudly Serving the Areas of and Surrounding Hayden and Rathdrum, Idaho
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ABOUT NORTHERN LAKES FIRE DISTRICT
Sept 11, 2024 - The District will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting to provide information to the public on a proposed tax levy override on the November 5 election ballot.
WHEN: Thur., October 3rd, 2024
WHERE: Lakeland High School
Commons (tentative)
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
The District is proposing a levy increase to retain 12 firefighter positions funded by a SAFER Grant that will expire in March 2026. The levy increase aims to maintain staffing levels, meet training and response requirements, and prevent potential increases to homeowners' insurance premiums.
The levy increase will add additional firefighters for a fourth staffed station and additional administrative/support staff.
The proposed override levy is temporary, lasting for two years, and would annually cost a taxpayer $31.02 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value based on current conditions.
Provides an all-hazards response and community risk reduction to the greater Hayden, Rathdrum, and Twin Lakes areas in Kootenai County. Northern Lakes Fire staffs three fire engines and two advanced life support (ALS) ambulances with career staff that respond to more than 6,000 emergency calls annually out of three staffed stations 24/7/365 located in Hayden and Rathdrum as well as the surrounding areas. We are a career department, comprised of fifty-two firefighters, four Chief Officers, a Deputy Fire Marshal, a Fleet Mechanic, and three administrative support staff. In addition, all of our firefighters are certified EMTs, including twenty-six paramedics.
Our staff respond to structure and wildland fires, emergency medical calls with paramedic staffed ambulances, motor vehicle crashes with heavy extrication capabilities, hazardous material response, technical rescue, weather events, ice rescues, and operate two fire & rescue boats.
Our District is comprised of approximately 108 square miles of lakes, mountains, prairies and growing cities with a population of more than 45,000 residents living in a Wildland Urban Interface identified by the Federal Registry as high risk for wildfire.
Please enjoy our website for your informational needs!
MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF
August 30, 2024 - The District will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting to provide information to the public on a proposed tax levy override on the November 5 election ballot.
WHEN: Tues., September 10th, 2024
WHERE: Station 1, 125 W. Hayden Ave.
TIME: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
The Northern Lakes Fire District was established with the consolidation of two neighboring fire districts in 2000. We are not a department of any city or county government and are governed by a five-member Board of Fire Commissioners elected by the public to four-year terms.
Today, the District serves five communities with more than 45,000 residents. We are an all-hazards organization that provides structural and wildland fire protection, advanced life support emergency medical services, fire prevention, and public education services, to those we serve.
In 2023, District crews responded to more than 6,000 emergency calls; an almost 70% increase from 2013. While we continue to seek resourceful and innovative means to provide the best level of service to our citizens and guests, additional staffing remains a crucial need. Please rest assured that our administration will continue working hard to identify options for funding the much needed additional firefighters.
In the meantime, our dedicated firefighters will respond to emergencies in their highly proficient and professional manner, as always.
Thank you to all the citizens for their continued support as we again move forward in our crucial mission to increase staffing for emergency response. I encourage anyone with questions, comments, or concerns to please contact me.
I just ask that when you see your fire crews out in the community, please take a moment to thank them and let them know they are appreciated and valued.
July 31, 2024 - The Northern Lakes Fire District is seeking community support for a crucial levy initiative designed to maintain and enhance the District's emergency response capabilities.
For more details on this levy initiative and how it will ensure our community receives
the highest level of fire and emergency medical services, please open the media release below.
EMERGENCY ALERT
Please sign up for Kootenai Alert! to receive emergency and other important notifications using the link below:
Alert! Kootenai is the emergency alert system that enables the County to provide the public with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as winter storms, flooding, major forest fires, unexpected road closures, evacuations of building or neighborhoods and more.
Burn permits are required and being issued for residential yard waste, small slash piles no bigger than 5'X5', and burn barrels.
Small recreational fires for warming or cooking do not require a permit.
Visit burnpermits.idaho.gov to obtain a 10-day permit at no cost.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
The Northern Lakes Fire District Board of Commissioners holds
regularly scheduled board meetings on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays
of each month at 10:00 a.m. at Fire Station 1 located at
125 W. Hayden Ave., in Hayden unless otherwise noted
The Board of Commissioners' next regular meeting is scheduled for
Thursday, September 26th, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.
at our Fire Station #1 located at
125 W. Hayden Ave. in Hayden
A Public Hearing will be held on
Thursday, September 26th, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.
at our Fire Station #1 located at
125 W. Hayden Ave. in Hayden
to consider public comments on a revised Fee Schedule for Services that adds new fees and increases existing fees by more than 5%. The proposed Fee Schedule would take effect on 10/1/2024 after board adoption. All interested parties are invited to attend hearing and make comment on proposed Fee Schedule which is available for public viewing at same address Mon-Fri from 8 am to 4 pm
DISTRICT EMPLOYMENT
The District does continuous testing for entry-level Firefighter/Paramedics
and Firefighter/EMTs through
National Testing Network (NTN)
Please visit our Employment Tab
for more information on this
continuous entry level testing and eligibility pool process
Northern Lakes Fire Career Firefighters
Are Proudly Represented by the
International Association of Firefighters Local #4045
Click on logo for more information
RELATED LINKS
INFORMATION
DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES
In 2022, the District entered into agreements with Kootenai County, the city of Hayden, and the city of Rathdrum, to collect development fire impact fees on new growth in our District. These development impact fees were calculated based on the District's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) adopted in May 2022
For information on the process for collection of fire district development impact fees, please follow the links below :