City Government
Chinden Fire Station To Close Oct. 1
September 15, 2010 
We don’t get the official word from the Boise Police/Fire press office, but other sources within the FD tell the GUARDIAN it looks like the fire station on Chinden will be closed October 1.
The station is owned by North Ada Fire and Rescue, but operated under contract with Boise FD. The station has provided coverage to the heart of Garden City and the Fairview, Curtis, Cole, and Allumbaugh vicinity for years. Response times will increase to those areas which were once served by Boise’s old #6 station at Fairview and Allumbaugh until it was closed to accommodate the Mall.
The once rural NACFR district has suffered financially due to the decline in property values and there is no mechanism to increase the tax levy, forcing closure of the station. In fact, the District doesn’t have the revenues to pay Boise the terms of the annual contract agreement. Boise City meanwhile has increased its annual budget by 3% through increased tax levies to make up for the decline in property values.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Sep 16, 2010, 7:58 am
This is really interesting. They go for a bond election to build a new station because the County was supposedly going to toss them out and the old building was dangerous. The bond was for a new site and building. Not a word about operation. The bond fails. They then announce that they didn’t have the money to operate the existing station. Now this. What would have happened had the bond passed? Did they intend to use part of that money to solve operation problems?
Sep 16, 2010, 2:51 pm
Still in the first year of the contract and the fire district can’t pay. Should be grounds to nullify the contract.
Sep 16, 2010, 5:47 pm
Yet the city and county can’t figure out just WHY we don’t trust them! I am so sick of being lied to!!!!!
Sep 16, 2010, 5:57 pm
Anyone care to bet that the closing of the station in October will be followed by another attempt at the “bond” in November ( based on strategically reported public outcry of course)?
And, IIRC, they didn’t say the old one was dangerous (I could be wrong), they said they were afraid the county was going to kick them out. (The irony there is astounding…nope…galling)
And finally, let me understand this correctly…The equipment is paid for, the station is paid for, and the employees are “absorbed”. Sounds like someone is leaving the lights on a LOT for the $$ they think they will save shutting down the station. Now I’m really confused.
Or is all the bond just to pay off the debt, which was not really discussed in the bond pamphlet I got. Wasn’t it 7 million they wanted? Hella Debt. Wonder how the city counsel was briefed on THAT one.
EDITOR NOTE–Bond proposal was a NACFR deal, not Boise City. Bonds are for equipment and buildings. Boise is providing protection, paying for wages and bennies. Give them a few days and they will explain it to the DAILY PAPER in an attempt to show we are somehow wrong.
Sep 16, 2010, 9:18 pm
So, what’s the solution? 18s is going away, and response times are going to dramatically increase in not only GC but also a fair portion of West Boise.
Lots of posters here like to complain, but I would like to hear some ideas on how to fix the problem.
EDITOR NOTE–Ultimately it will take legislation to allow fire districts to increase levy like cities do. Meanwhile it is not the duty of Boise to be involved with the operation of other districts. Boise “sells” sewer service to Eagle, legal to Meridian, police to BSU, fire to Whitney and NACFR and lord knows what else. Government is NOT a business and shouldn’t be run as such.
Sep 16, 2010, 9:43 pm
BG editor, it was BFD members in BFD shirts going door to door promoting the bond override, not NACFR members (or former NACFR members).
Just as several things the Whitney Fire District does is really at the request of the BFD, I think the connection here is very strong as well.
In short, I think the line between the two entities is very fuzzy, and , as we see with the Whitney Fire District expenditures, the line in how those $$ are used fuzzy as well. Its all a shell game.
Cyclops, point of fact: NACFR is a rural Fire taxing district (the exact name of the type of district escapes me, but it is similar to the Whitney district) separate from county government.
Sep 16, 2010, 11:11 pm
To the four above….great observations!! Makes you wonder what really happens behind the doors of admin…
Sep 17, 2010, 3:00 pm
So, could the whole “consolidation” have really been about expanding the BFD chief’s empire?
Again, I ask why the City doesn’t demand that the contract with NACFR be nullified. They simply can’t pay. They’re broke, and the City gets to bail them out by “absorbing” the people who would have been laid off, and by sending Boise fire trucks into Garden City to cover for the closed station.
Now, NACFR has three fire stations, and only one of them operates!
Sep 17, 2010, 3:02 pm
…And, as for explaining it to the Statesman, they won’t have to. It’s already old news to them.
Sep 17, 2010, 6:14 pm
V A, you are correct! But don’t think for a second that ANY fire district blows their nose without the city and county telling them where the tissues are. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and recall the “discussions” between ACEMS and the different fire districts.
Sep 18, 2010, 2:06 pm
Actually, In my experience, fire districts are governed by separately elected commissioners, with mainly the fire union members and their families the only ones paying attention and voting in the elections.
So who do you think the commissioners pay more attention to?
Sep 18, 2010, 11:32 pm
V A, just follow the money and opportunity! You are kidding right? Do you really think all they care about are the members of their district? Do you think these “deals”, just fall from the sky? The only difference between the back room deals today and those of years gone by are the two martinis! (after all, there may be someone from the Guardian watching these days)
Sep 19, 2010, 9:00 am
Again, I am in 99% agreement with you….There is a lot of money to be had, But I think you and I disagree on who is “making out”, and what the quid pro quo is .
Bottom line is both you and I know this “closing” of the fire station is just a ruse to scare the voters into approving the next bond over-ride.
The real question is where is all that $$ going to.
As you say..follow the money.
Sep 19, 2010, 11:27 pm
Money disappeared when property taxes went way down. It’s an easy and short trail to follow. Not a back room deal just economic downturn. But, that’s not as fun as making up scenarios that include trying to make a conspiracy out of it.
Sep 20, 2010, 12:28 pm
Matt, your position would be logical if the powers that be discovered the shortage in tax revenues a couple of weeks ago. Sadly they didn’t! They knew of them long before they started trying to sell us a “pig in a poke” with threats of lost service and bond issues. V A is right on! This is the big Bad Wolf that will take up residence in the fire house if the next bond is rejected again.
Sep 20, 2010, 12:30 pm
By the way Matt, there is a substantial difference between taxes going down and not experiencing, and DEPENDING on, tax growth!
Sep 20, 2010, 4:24 pm
If the station is in Garden City, why just doesn’t Garden City officially absorb it and constitute the Garden City Fire Department? Seems like an obvious thing to do now that NACFR has outlived its need.
Sep 22, 2010, 10:54 am
Wonk, Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?