ATHOL - A fire engine's accelerator pedal that became stuck is evidence that the Timberlake Fire District has fallen woefully behind on vehicle maintenance and needs levy funding to improve safety, the fire chief says.

"After my experience Wednesday, I have never been more convinced that we have a fleet of junk fire trucks that we have never maintained properly," Jack Krill wrote in an e-mail to commissioners of the district, which includes Athol and Bayview.

Krill and another employee took the engine for a test drive on Highway 54 when the pedal would not release from full throttle. Krill switched it into neutral and shut it down, avoiding an accident.

"Imagine if we pulled in the driveway of a working house fire with the stuck pedal and ran right into the house," Krill said.

He said a sheath on the throttle cable had been cracked for some time, then finally broke during the test drive. Krill learned later Wednesday that firefighters have had issues with the pedal sticking before but it would slowly return.

"We have become so used to dealing with substandard equipment that many have come to accept these little quirks with all of our equipment," Krill said. "I don't trust our equipment enough to put our folks in hazardous conditions - that's one reason why we only fight fires from the exterior now."

Krill is pitching a $500,000 permanent levy override, which would cost the average homeowner in the district about $72 per year.

District residents will receive a newsletter and survey in about a week regarding the need.

Three town hall meetings to gather public input on the idea have been scheduled to date, including:

n March 3, 7 p.m., Bayview Community Center;

n March 4, 7 p.m., Athol Community Center; and

n March 18, 7 p.m., Athol Community Center.

Based on public input, the commissioners will decide at their April 21 meeting if they want to float a levy to voters and for how much. The election would be May 25.

Lew Vandemark, who lives near Athol and operates a bed and breakfast in the town, said the fire district "without a doubt" needs additional funding for maintenance and to improve safety.

He believes the district is playing catchup from not having a chief for about three years before Krill came on board a year and a half ago.

"Without having a chief, a lot of things were left by the wayside and nobody was giving any direction to the district," Vandemark said. "I think we need a levy just to keep our heads above water. We're in danger of laying off staff and we've already closed one station (last year on Perimeter Road between Athol and Bayview). All that does is reduce protection for the area."

He said firefighters at least need the peace of mind that they have good equipment.

Krill said most maintenance has been done in-house in recent years rather than by certified mechanics to save money.

"The short-sighted decisions to go cheap, ignore standards and disregard safety in the past have caught up to us," he said. "I have never and will never accept substandard maintenance. If we can't do something safely, we won't do it."

Krill said the district is at risk of losing its insurance rating and closing more stations, which will result in increased homeowner insurance premiums to residents.

Northern Lakes Fire, which serves Rathdrum and Hayden, is also considering floating a levy to voters.