Caldwell Fire Department asks council to fund staffing, training and new facilities to keep pace with growth

Caldwell Fire Chief Danos told the City Council at a budget workshop that the department needs more people, training and facilities to keep up with fast population and building growth.

"We're a little understaffed and we're a little under stationed," Chief Danos said, and described current daily staffing as "16 personnel is our minimum daily staffing and 22 is our maximum daily staffing." He said Caldwell firefighters handle about 8,200 emergency incident numbers a year — roughly 65% medical calls and 35% fire — and that multiple‑unit responses raise the department's unit responses to about 10,100 annually.

The fire chief outlined personnel and capital requests for fiscal year 2026 and beyond, including adding an EMS training captain and three suppression captains to prepare leadership for a future Station 4, and a phased hiring plan that could require nine additional personnel in a future year to complete Station 4 staffing. Danos said Station 4 should be operational "by '27 or '28," but that opening will be phased so the station is fully operational on day one.

Why it matters: Caldwell is among the fastest‑growing cities in the state, the chief said, and growth increases call volumes, travel times and the need for local fire coverage. Danos noted the city's current Idaho State Rating Bureau (ISRB) public protection classification is a 3 on the 1‑to‑10 scale used to set homeowner insurance rates and said investments…