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Coeur d'Alene Fire Department revises acquired-structure training process and launches ARU vehicle
Summary
Fire officials told council they have revised permit steps after an issue with a recent demolition review and put a new alternate response unit into limited service using budgeted overtime.
The Coeur d'Alene Fire Department on Feb. 4 told the City Council it has revised the city permit and demolition-review process for acquired-structure training after a recent “hiccup” and put a budgeted alternate response unit (ARU) into limited service.
Deputy Chief Tom Grief and Fire Captain Bill (last name not specified in staff packet) described the department’s acquired-structure training program—using donated or purchased buildings for live-fire and search exercises—and the changes they’ve made to the city’s permit checklist and demolition review to reduce future conflicts with the Historic Preservation Commission.
"We acquire structures for training because the structures that we acquire resemble most of the buildings that are in the city," Bill said, explaining the operational benefits of hands-on training for firefighters. The department told council it has added demolition permits and historic-preservation review to the Development Review Team checklist and will run dummy permit cases to confirm the new workflow.
The department also provided a brief update on an overtime-funded ARU vehicle the council funded in last year’s budget. Deputy Chief Grief said the SUV-style unit went into service for one weekday and ran roughly six calls in its first day. Staffing is limited to overtime shifts and is not yet 24/7; the department plans to provide analytics to the council after more days in service.
Why it matters: Officials described the changes as corrective steps following a recent partial demolition of a historically contributing house at 918 Pennsylvania Ave., which prompted extra coordination between the fire department and the Historic Preservation Commission. The department said the revised permit process is intended to protect historic properties while keeping firefighter training available.
Ending: Staff said they will test the new permit workflow and report back if changes are needed. Council members praised the department’s responsiveness and asked several operational questions about the frequency of training requests and how the city documents asbestos and safety steps for acquired structures.
