East Side Fire District is planning a new $1 million fire station to accommodate a growing population on the east side of Lake Coeur d’Alene, says East Side Fire Chief Jerry Lynn.

The new building, to be located at 20436 S. State Route 97, will be twice the size of the district’s current 3,600-square-foot fire station.

Post Falls-based Steel Structures of America Inc. is the general contractor.

The new station will be constructed next to East Side Fire District’s current facility, at 20338 S. State Route 97, west of Gozzer Ranch Golf & Lake Club.

“This year, we have an ambulance out here for the first time ever,” Lynn says. “The current building we’re in will remain here and be used for the ambulance and medical services.”

Previously, ambulance services have been provided from the city of Coeur d’Alene, which Lynn says could take about 30 minutes to reach patients.

“By having an ambulance out here, we’re able to get to our patients usually within 10 minutes. So, it’s a big difference for us,” says Lynn.

The new facility will have three bays for firefighting vehicles, offer more room for administrative staff, and provide a larger training area for the district’s volunteer firefighters, he says.

The fire district currently has 41 volunteer firefighters, in addition to a paid staff of four administrative employees, a deputy fire chief, and an admin chief, he adds.

The building will have space to add sleeping quarters if the need arises in the future, Lynn says.