Fire district seeks bond for new station

Chief touts potential savings on insurance rates

Firefighters at Grant County Fire District No. 3 are hoping that, for this September primary, the third time will be the charm.

Voters will have the option to approve a $3.5 million bond to build a new fire and life-safety facility in Quincy to consolidate the district's operations.

A similar bond issue failed to reach the required 60 percent super majority last September by four votes. In the 2003 general election, the measure was 22 votes short of passing.

Grant County 3 Chief Don Fortier said the close votes indicated a public support for the new station, which is why the district chose to try again. The new facility will allow the district to house all of its equipment in one central location and sleep four firefighters in one place, which will help decrease response time to emergencies, Fortier said.

A decreased response time, he added, equates to a greater standing for the district on insurance rates.

"If (voters) look at (the bond) and compare it to their insurance rate, it could end up saving them money," Fortier said.

The new facility would be located on Central Avenue and boast four bedrooms, a training room/community meeting room, a maintenance wing and an administrative area. Proposed blueprints call for a 29,700 square-foot building.

Grant County Fire District No. 3 is the largest in the county, stretching from Quincy south to George and responding to calls at the Gorge Amphitheatre and Sunland Estates.

The bond would tack an additional 53 cents per $1,000 worth of assessed valuation to property owners' taxes. That means the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $53 more in property taxes during the year.

Fortier said he has heard from some people who oppose the move, but he knows of no organized opposition.

The new station could benefit business if insurance rates go down, Fortier said.

"Insurance is just another cost of doing business," he said.