James W. Elmer Construction Co., of Spokane, has started construction of a $1.1 million training tower for Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, in Post Falls, the fire district says.

The five-story tower, with an attached two-story mock residential section, will be located at the southeast corner of a 10-acre parcel that includes the fire district's administration and shop buildings, at 5271 E. Seltice Way, says Fire Chief Ron Sampert.

The project, which was designed by Longwell+Trapp Architects PLLC, of Hayden, Idaho, is scheduled to be completed in mid-December, Sampert says.

Firefighters and emergency medical personnel will conduct a variety of training exercises in and around the structure, and it will be available to other agencies that might want to use it, he says.

The project will be paid for with funds the district has set aside over the last decade, Sampert says.

The fire district serves a population of 45,000 and encompasses 113 square miles, including the cities of Post Falls, Spirit Lake, Huetter, Dalton Gardens, and Fernan Village. It operates eight fire stations, including a boathouse on Lake Coeur d'Alene.