Okanogan County Fire District 6 has invited the public to the next meeting of the Board of Fire Commissioners on Monday, February 11th at 7:00 p.m. at the Twisp Fire Station at 434 Second Avenue, according to a District 6 news release.

“The Fire Commissioners would like to hear comments from the community about a larger fire station it is proposing to build in Winthrop,” states the release. “A larger facility will provide a more rapid emergency response, shelter expensive emergency equipment, and provide training space for the volunteer firefighters who serve district residents”.

“We are in the early planning phase for this building,” said Fire Chief Don Waller. “We want to know what questions the community might have and make sure they are part of this process.”

The current Winthrop station is too small for equipment and apparatus and there is no place to expand, according to the news release. Some apparatus must be parked outside, leaving it vulnerable to weather and vandalism. During emergency calls, firefighters struggle to find enough room to don their bunker gear while others are moving equipment and vehicles for a call. Another safety concern is that the current building is located in a residential neighborhood and the hill in front of the station is dangerous and icy during winter. Waller says these last three issues are impacting the fire district’s ability to provide a timely response to emergencies.

“There are real public safety concerns that we have with the existing facility,” said Chief Waller. “We want to be able to roar out of the station when there is an emergency, but the truth is that we creep along because of people and children playing, or ice on the roads.”

The fire district has reduced the amount of money it needs to borrow for this project by purchasing the property and doing site work in advance, as well as by planning to use a modular building. The next step will be to determine the final costs for the modular structure, and then asking taxpayers to approve a levy lid lift sometime this fall. Interest rates and construction costs are at an all-time low, which makes it financially prudent to tackle this project now.

Fire district residents who are unable to attend the meeting are encouraged to send their comments and questions to Fire Chief Don Waller, Okanogan County Fire District 6, 434 Second Avenue, Twisp, WA 98856. Comments may also be emailed to dwaller@okanogancountyfd6.com.

Founded in 1960, Okanogan County Fire District 6 covers an area of approximately 350 square miles making it the largest fire district in the county. The district provides fire, rescue and emergency response services from Gold Creek to Lost River, including unincorporated areas and the communities of Carlton, Twisp, Winthrop, and Mazama. A team of career and volunteer firefighters serves 4,000 residents and protects more than 3,500 structures. For more information about District 6, visit www.okanogancountyfd6.com.