Comments on: Doan Resigns Before Scheduled Firing

By: XX

XX — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 04:18:24 +0000

Not just policies . . .

Boise Code: 1-10B-3: Powers And Duties

The Fire Chief shall exercise all powers and duties necessary and incidental to those authorized by the Constitution, Federal law, State Code, this Code and policies and procedures set forth by the Mayor and City Council. (1952 Code § 3-11-04; amd. 2019 Code)

By: Forced Air

Forced Air — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 17:55:54 +0000

A co-worker of mine who is a volunteer firefighter and has spoken with fellow firemen close to this issue, told me that there have been major disagreements between Ms McLean and Chief Doan for quite a while. It was said that she told him that if she were to win, she would ask him to resign. Well, she made it pretty quick with the admin leave move. He knew he was gone but needed a few days to get his effects in order. She didn’t wait. So she stuck the knife he knew was coming in….and turned it.

That’s what I know about this. What WANT to know is the policy issues he had with her.

By: XX

XX — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 22:01:25 +0000

I hope people realize that the former fire chief can say whatever he wishes/believes/thinks or knows to be true or not true, knowing that the City has the issue labeled as a personnel matter and therefore can not reply to anything he says. They can’t say one way or another if he did, or did not, do anything.

EDITOR NOTE–We are concerned the City may have offered him a “non-disclosure agreement.” If true, that flies in the face of promised transparency in government. We deserve to know how much of OUR money was offered to him.

By: Eamonn Harter

Eamonn Harter — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 01:56:34 +0000

I was right! Big surprise, Dave B. has washed up at Gardner Company after taking a few weeks off acquiring a tan in the tropics.

https://www.ktvb.com/video/news/local/former-boise-mayor-dave-bieter-ready-to-start-the-next-chapter-of-his-life/277-9bdde32b-b0e4-45ed-9716-8c7e7a57ff74

By: David

David — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 21:48:58 +0000

For those who misunderstood question 7 I posted here is a link to what Moscow FD does with regard to housing in exchange for fire duty: https://www.ci.moscow.id.us/204/Resident-Firefighter-Program

EDITOR NOTE–The university has also helped pay for fire equipment, including a ladder truck needed to protect the multi-story campus structures.

By: The Wolf

The Wolf — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 21:01:30 +0000

Oasis is a legitimate fire district with taxing authority

By: Not da Mommie

Not da Mommie — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 15:39:02 +0000

David;
The question about volunteers in Hidden Springs would start with the fire district commissioners, whether they’d like to try yet again to restart their volunteer program. Previous attempts in recent years have failed.
The Orchard station is federal employees on federal land several miles outside the city, so no. Any development in Mayfield, Elmore County, would most likely involve the developers starting their own fire district.

No.7 confuses me. Boise already has stations all around BSU. Are you suggesting that the city build another, on campus, so that a few volunteer firemen from around Idaho would have a place to live while going to school? BSU already has those buildings; they’re called dorms.

EDITOR NOTE–Trained volunteers staffing a shift can be a good idea, but the union guys have held it down for years. Boise works on a contract with NACFR. Same deal with Whitney FD to the south. Orchard is confusing. It operates as an actual fire district with full time civilian firefighters based in the National Guard training range and they have a contract with Idaho Dept. of Transportation to cover a stretch of freeway. A former Boise firefighter has a rural group of volunteers called the Oasis FD in the Mayfield-Orchard area. A reader tells us it is an ad valorem taxing district.

Regarding BSU, Boise FD provides free fire protection, but charges around $1 million a year for coppers at BSU. Makes no sense.

By: XX

XX — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 05:51:40 +0000

David – Here is a bit of info. for your questions, of which Boise Guardian has provided answers in the past and public records show the following:

The 2 unmanned stations (Chinden & Hidden Springs) belong in full to NACFR – North Ada County Fire & Rescue District. Unless NACFR was dissolved, these stations will not belong to Boise and will not be renamed. Boise Fire makes it sound like they own them but they only actually have the firefighters as Boise City employees. The buildings, land and some of the equipment is strictly NACFR.

And the NACFR Station 16 on Glenwood is on leased land owned by Ada County, so a third party is involved.

By: Money First

Money First — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 04:46:56 +0000

Treefort and COVID-19. Money first. Safety second or third?

Yes, totally and tragically off topic.

So have you ever noticed the shoes of the hospital people in contamination garb never get covered, changed, or even cleaned? Why not? Veterinarians step their boots in a green solution… why not the hospital doctors and nurses too.

By: David

David — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 01:51:13 +0000

Questions for the new chief and most certainly for the Mayor and City Council. Boise Guardian could ask.

1. Why are there currently two unmanned stations in city inventory while you desperately seek funding for rehabs and remodels of existing stations?

2. Will you allow compensated volunteers to staff the Hidden Springs station?

3. What has become of the old training facility on Shoreline drive?

4. Does the new training facility accommodate Meridian and Eagle and Kuna? If, not, why?

5. Are you ever going to rename station 16 as a Boise Fire Station and not North Ada County Fire & Rescue?

6. Any plans to bring the Orchard Training site on again/ off again manned station under Boise Fire? There are current development plans for the Orchard / Mayfield area.

7. University of Idaho and the Moscow Fire Dept. has a residency program. Seems to work for the University in Moscow. Why not establish a station near BSU and do something similar?

8. If the interim chief of Boise Fire is good why not make it permanent? Doing a nationwide search costs money and time, etc.