Fire station addition, breakfast attract crowd

NAPLES — People gathered at the South Boundary Fire Station #1 to enjoy a free breakfast and a tour of the new construction on Saturday, Oct. 5. The South Boundary Firefighters cooked and served the breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m.

South Boundary Fire Chief Tony Rohrwasser gave tours of the new addition to the station that is still under construction, but will soon house not only the ambulance, but also a place for EMS quarters, including two small bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom with a shower.

“The plan is to have this station staffed 24/7 with a paramedic, and we are working on ways to get personnel that are either EMTs or EMRs, or just firefighters because the medic needs someone to run the bus for them,” said Rohrwasser.

The tour also included the area between the fire station and the Naples Elementary School. When the old church is removed, they will be putting in a shed building that will house the Naples Food Cupboard, as well as supplies for Red Cross. The building will be set back further than the church is now.

“It will be set way back because the biggest issue that we have in the community right now down here, is traffic with the kids,” explained Rohrwasser. “It will also increase the parking for the school and for the fire department.”

They also hope to put in a landing pad for Life Flight in the same area. At this point it may just be a grass area, but it could eventually be a concrete slab with landing lights, although that is not yet in the budget.

Inside the station, people had the opportunity to bid on silent auction items or buy raffle tickets for either a bow or a $200 gift certificate to Far North. The proceeds from these items helps to fund a $500 continuing education scholarship.

The event was put on by the South Boundary Firefighters Association, a 501C3 non-profit organization that is separate from the Fire District. They received a large check during the event that will go toward the new food bank building, in the amount of $8,000, from the estate of Michael McClaskey.

“He was a Vietnam vet,” said Rohrwasser. “He wanted it to go to projects in Boundary County and he was involved with the food bank in Bonners Ferry.”

For the people coming to enjoy the free breakfast of pancakes, sausage, ham, and eggs, they had the opportunity to meet and talk with their local firefighters, while the children were entertained with an inflatable fire station bounce house.

“This place has come so far since Wayne and everybody took over years ago. Back then it was a joke. Now it is literally one of the best fire departments around,” said Shane Portrey who came to enjoy the breakfast. “All firemen I have a lot of respect for — but the volunteer ones that give their all — and don’t get anything in return for it … that is the way to go.”

For more information about the projects, contact Tony Rohrwasser at chief@southboundaryfire.com or 208-290-2613.