Spokane-based Responders Emergency Services Credit Union is planning for additional growth into areas south of the Idaho Panhandle this year, after opening their first Idaho branch in 2024.

The credit union is planning to submit a request to the Idaho Department of Finance in February to be granted permission to expand its field of membership and acquire space for a new branch to serve two additional counties in Idaho, says Joyce Lockard, president and CEO of Responders Emergency Services Credit Union.

“Our concentration is always going to be our current members, but also we are concentrating more on expanding in Idaho,” she says. “(The Department of Finance) were very encouraging and so we decided to hire a consultant to help facilitate the expansion, and that’s really our big plan for 2026 and 2027.”

After the credit union submits its request, Lockard says the approval process can take up to 90 days. 

Responders Emergency Services Credit Union, a closed-membership credit union serving civil first responders and their families, currently has charters in Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, and Shoshone counties. The new counties are required to be contiguous to counties the credit union already operates in, she adds.

Lockard declines to disclose the specific counties Responders Emergency Services Credit Union plans to expand into but says the credit union has already completed feasibility studies on the areas eyed for its new branch.

“At least by 2027, we will have a branch there, whether it’s a new building or using an existing building,” Lockard says. “We know we need to have a drive-thru. We need to be by certain (amenities) like a coffee stand or certain types of restaurants, because that’s where our demographic is, at least in this part of Washington and North Idaho.”

There's strong demand for a full-service first responder-focused credit union in Idaho, Lockard says, adding that the credit union considers additional locations in Idaho depending on the needs of its members.

“There are very few credit unions specifically for first responders, and so that's where our niche is going to be,” she says. “We have lots of phone calls and requests from areas (in Idaho) saying, ‘Hey, are you in our area?’ No, we're not yet. We'll be there.”

The majority, about 2,300, of the credit union’s 2,600 members are Washington residents, according to the Journal’s Spokane-Area Credit Unions list published in June. Responders Emergency Services Credit Union has operated a branch at 924 W. Sinto, in Spokane, since it was established in 1966. Of the credit union’s estimated $48 million in deposits, more than $46 million in deposits were made in Spokane county, according to the list. 

The credit union’s second branch — and first in Idaho — opened in July 2024 at 3640 E. Seltice Way, in Post Falls. Lockard says she expects membership to grow at a comfortable rate from the expected upcoming expansion.

“I firmly believe that our credit union (is running) a 20-minute mile,” says Lockard. “We're going slow but steady, we're making progress, and realistically, in the last five years, this credit union has made more progress in extending services, growth, and a branch than we have in in many, many years.”

Responders Emergency Services Credit Union was founded as Spokane Police Credit Union sixty years ago. The financial institution steadily grew in scope and membership until 2017, when the credit union expanded its eligible membership criteria to include first responders associated with law enforcement, firefighter, and emergency medical services, according to the credit union’s website.

Due to its status as a closed-membership credit union — and because first responders are required to fulfill mandatory credit checks when hired by their respective units — loan delinquencies are very low, Lockard says. The delinquency rate is about 0.1%, and delinquent loans totaled around $15,000 as of September.

“The reason why our delinquency is low, and we are competitive with even the bigger credit unions and the banks, is because we have those low rates and we don't charge a lot of fees for services that we could probably charge fees for,” she says. “We find unique and low-cost services for our members, and then we can extend those services to them.”

For the credit union’s 60th anniversary this year, Lockard says a member celebration is planned to include bringing treats to police and fire stations in addition holding community events with police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and other first responders in the city of Spokane and North Idaho.

“We have lots of great partnerships with them, (so we’ll be) serving our members and celebrating each month with something going on,” she says.