Replacement Station for Creston Fire Department

Creston Firefighters Association

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Creston Fire Department

 

Table of Contents

Building a New Creston Replacement Fire Station and Community Center
Creston Fire, a history of fiscal responsibility
Goal is to build without increasing your tax
Growing Creston Community demands Fire Department growth
Goals for the new replacement fire station
History
The proposed design
Design elements
Location details
Building Layout
Creston Fire/EMS is built to serve
Donate

A new fire hall for our community

Creston Fire District and Creston Auxiliary (non-profit) is ½ way to the initial goal of raising $2M for the replacement fire station.  The intent is to build the new station with fund raising and donations without raising taxes or levies.

Creston Fire District is 83 square miles with a steadily growing number of households making up the community.  Volunteer firefighters and EMT’s respond to an average of one call per day and this is increasing.  In just the last 12 years, there has been an increase of  98% for responses and a majority is for medical emergencies.

This new fire station will replace the existing station built in 1962.  The new location is across the highway from the current station, on the north side of Highway 35, next to Creston School.  The land was previously purchased with the intent to one day build a new replacement station.  If you have attended the Creston Auction, you likely have parked on the replacement fire station land.

Creston is Fiscally Responsible

“Minimal Cost Burden and Maximum Life Saving Effectiveness”

Being frugal with public money may be old fashioned, but we think it’s the right thing to do.  As far as we know, the district tax levy has not increased for the last 60 years.  In fact, over the last 10 years the tax has decreased 8.2%!

Current annual budget for operations and equipment from your taxes is $272K, approximately $23/person per year according to population estimates.

The department has always managed operations and capital purchases under budget.  Additional income from countless volunteer hours working the Auction, Soup for Supper, BBQ Pork Roast, and Whitefish Challenge fundraisers allowing the department to purchase extra equipment without raising taxes, such as extrication tools, radios, medical equipment, and the newly purchased firetruck.

Building without increasing your tax

Endeavoring to build a new replacement fire station and community center without increasing taxes can be challenging.  We believe it is possible to build a quality Fire Station and community center without putting additional financial burdens on taxpayers.  To this end, we have been seeking donations to reduce the cost of the Fire Station. To date, community members have already given or pledged a significant amount of money, labor and materials towards this cause.  We also plan to sell the existing fire hall and property to further offset expenses. We anticipate the balance of funds that

is needed to be raised is a little over $2 million, and we are pleased to note that we have already raised nearly $1 million towards this effort.

Your contribution, of any size, can help us maintain and improve our emergency response as well as ensure that we can continue serving our community for generations to come. With your help, we can make a real difference in the lives of those who rely on our services. Thank you in advance for your kindness and support.

Growing needs for the Creston Community

98% increase in Emergency response in the last 12 years.  Emergency response needs continue to increase

In 2022, volunteer firefighters and medical responders answered an average of 7.6 emergency calls per week.

Estimates on Creston population growth are 32% over the last 12 years.  In 2010 there were approximately 8,000 community members.  In 2023, we anticipate 11,800 community members.  The 32% population increase accompanies a 98% increase in emergency services over the same period.

Over the decades, the Creston Fire District has taken a very proactive stance when it comes to preparedness, training and equipment to respond to emergencies.  The increasing population and growing emergency responses demand that the district expands and improves with it.  To serve these needs, Creston Fire has expanded over the years to include 9 fire engines,  3 emergency support vehicles, 3 additional satellite stations and purchased land in anticipation of a new replacement fire station.

Goals for the new replacement fire station

  • Build to last many generations
  • Incorporate firefighting needs based on growth projections
  • Engineer with energy efficiency and cost effective simplicity in mind
  • Include living quarters for anticipated overnight staffing
  • Ample training and skill labs facilities to keep pace with the needs of medical and firefighting challenges
  • Include an upgraded community center with commercial kitchen

History

1957     Community members led by the first chief Fried Heim met in the grange hall to start a volunteer fire department

1958     An unused 1-1/2 ton Chevy, perhaps a logging truck, was donated along with a 500 gallon irrigation tank and pump mounted on the chassis.  The hand-made fire truck was housed at the Broeder Brothers Lumber Company on Mill Creek.

1962     The current main fire hall was built on land donated by the Bud Roberts family with building materials donated by Broeder mill and thousands of hours of volunteer time.

1963     To increase speed of response, Jeanine and Clyde Pederson (fire chief) created a map of all roads in Route 4, and all the firefighters’ assigned numbers to each home.  At this time, a phone tree was used to alert firefighters of an emergency.

1969     First official fire truck was purchased

1973     Lake Blaine satellite station . In later years 30,000 gallons of water storage was added.

1973    Water Tender 3 (6X6 old military chassis), 4000 gallon water tank with 350gpm pump added to fleet.  Later sold at Creston Auction

1978     Ford/Pierce engine 4 purchased.  750 water with 750gpm pump This was the original

1978     Main fire station addition of training and community center with a small kitchen

1981     Gary Mahugh, who joined in March 1974, becomes Fire Chief

1981     Mountain Brook Foothills satellite station, much of it built by community volunteers.  In later years approximately 15,000 gallons of water storage was added for fire suppression in the area

1994     Fairmont-Egan satellite station 254.  Chief Mahugh struck a deal with the Bonneville Power Administration on highway 35 to house an engine at no cost to better respond to the Egan area.  The new satellite cost the department only $5K for building improvements Engine “4”.  Later sold at Creston Auction

1996     New Fire Engine #1, a 2,000 gallon truck at the main hall became our second pumper/tanker

2002     Fire Engine #7, a 1999 Ford, 350 gallon Wildland/Rescue Engine at the Mountain Brook satellite

2003     Fire Engine #3, 300 gallon light rescue truck at the main station. This was our first Compressed Air Foam unit

2003     Fire Engine #4 new, 750 gallon truck at the Mountain Brook satellite. Purchased from Sour Dough Fire near Bozeman.  4X4, 750 water, 1250gpm pump, upgraded to Compressed Air Foam.  This engine replaced the original #4

2006     Engine #1 upgrade to include Compressed Air Foam

2006     Fire Engine #6, 3,000 gallon truck at Lake Blaine satellite.  Originally built in 1992 on a used over the road chassis.  It was one of the largest pumper / tankers in the state at that time.  In about 2009 the fire body was moved to a newer chassis and the unit was refurbed.

2008     Fire Engine #8, 300 gallon Rescue with Transport capability at the Lake Blaine satellite

2011     A multi-use modular unit donated from Bigfork School District was moved to Lake Blaine satellite station property

2012     Purchase property next to Creston school for new fire hall from the Arnie Grob family

2012     Fire Engine #5, 1,000 gallon reserve truck at Lake Blaine satellite Purchased used from Bigfork Fire.  This engine now serves as a “Reserve Engine”.

2012     Fire Engine #2, 770 gallon truck at the Lake Blaine satellite  This is a Type 3 wildland unit and it replaced the original Engine 2

2023     New Fire Engine #9, a 650 gallon Wildland Urban Interface Engine truck at the Fairmont satellite  This is a 2000 model year HME / Central States Interface style engine.  Put into service March of 2023.  This engine is now first response engine out of FairMont Station

2023     In recent years, 3 emergency support vehicles have been added to the fleet

The proposed design for the Replacement Fire Station and Community Center

Future Creston Fire Station #251 (14,650 Sq. Ft.)

BASIS OF DESIGN: Emergency response is the primary focus.  It also will be aesthetically blended to integrate the distinctiveness of the Creston community.  All designs will incorporate materials that are highly durable for low maintenance.

Building features incorporate growth for many generations

  • 3 bays with room to expand
  • Engineered with an eye on serving many generations
  • Incorporated firefighting water supply
  • High efficiency heating/cooling
  • Modern community room with kitchen
  • Firefighter skills areas to accommodate the hundreds of hours of training each year per member
  • Architectural design with simple but high quality materials for long life
  • Aesthetic design to fit the personality of a growing rural community
  • Living quarters for future onsite firefighting and medical personnel

Design elements


Location details

The site will be next to Creston School on property the fire department purchased in 2012.  This is across the highway from the current fire station on the field used for parking at the Creston Auction.

Separate emergency vehicle access to highway 35 with clearly identified front entry for emergency response.

Visitors for community events, training, and staff will have separate entrance and parking.   Creston auction parking access will be accounted for without impacting the emergency access requirements.

Building Layout

  • 14,650 sq.ft primarily devoted to responding to emergencies or preparing to respond.
  • Space for current and future firefighting equipment to serve a growing community. Living quarters are included for anticipated overnight staffing and ample training and skill labs facilities to keep pace with the needs of medical and firefighting challenges.
  • To serve the community; a large community room capable of seating 60+ with a commercial kitchen are planned along with associated lobbies and restrooms.

Creston Fire/EMS is built to serve

“Either we are responding to save lives, or we are training to respond.”

A big thanks to all the volunteer firefighters and medical personnel that not only respond daily to emergencies of all types in our community, but also attend weekly fire and medical trainings, and assist with upgrades and maintenance of all stations.  We also recognize the past members who contributed to keep Creston Fire one of the most respected departments around.

Charter members of the 1957 fire department:   Tom Yenne, Larry Passmore, Fred Heim, J. Milton Small, Clyde Pederson, Gordon Broeder, Russell Buck, Paul Boss, Harold Small, William Ambrose, Dan Brenneman, Harold Termaat, Frank Mast, Owen Hochstetler, Art Moticha, Harold Passmore, Merle Baldwin, Bill Brynns, Gene Clapper, Orval Clark, Gordon Grier, Boyd Blackmere, Earl Weaver, Ken Odegard, Clifford Brenneman, Clarence Sheldon, Jeff Buller, Vern Stewart and Les Mahugh.