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Calling it a career

Brian Walker | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 13 years, 5 months AGO
by Brian Walker
| September 26, 2011 9:00 PM

POST FALLS - Ron Sampert has quietly helped build a fire agency that most districts would like to have.

Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, which covers Post Falls, Dalton Gardens, Fernan Village, Stateline, Wolf Lodge and Huetter, has been able to upgrade equipment, even during the recession.

It recently dedicated a training campus, plans to move into new administrative offices in November and is one of the few local fire agencies that has a full-time mechanic.

The key?

"By watching how we spend our money," he said. "Everything we have is paid for. We're not in debt in any way, shape or form. We don't overspend on certain things, and we put our money where it needs to be."

Sampert said having a district with well-trained personnel that has access to updated equipment has been a vision he shares with the district's commissioners.

"Our constituents deserve that," he said.

In March, when Sampert retires, he said he'll leave a district that's in good condition.

"I've never been a status quo guy," he said. "I've always pushed for things to be better and for higher levels of service. It's not complete, but we're getting there."

On Friday a new $500,000 rescue pumper that will replace an older one rolled in.

Sampert has been KCFR's chief since Post Falls Fire and Kootenai County Fire Protective District No. 1 consolidated in 2001. Lynn Borders and Sampert co-administered the district for a year and a half before Borders joined Kootenai County EMS in 2002.

Prior to the consolidation, Sampert was chief of Kootenai County District No. 1 for four years and, before that, he was a firefighter with Coeur d'Alene Fire. Sampert has been in the local fire service for 37 years.

It's been a rewarding career, he said.

"We have the opportunity to help people every day," he said. "I don't think there's a better reward than helping someone in a time of need."

Getting a start

Firefighting wasn't in Sampert's blood as a child.

He didn't get started until after he went on a mission for his church after high school and came home to a rough economy that dampened the construction industry, including the drywall field he worked in.

"People were looking for jobs wherever they could find them, and I had some friends who went to Wyoming to work in oil fields," he said. "But I had family and didn't want to leave."

Coeur d'Alene Fire ran a test for firefighters and Sampert decided to give it a try. When he was offered a temporary job, he jumped at the opportunity.

"My friends who are still in the construction business think I'm a genius because I got out," he said.

While there were times Sampert mulled getting out of fire service, the stability and benefits it brought to his family and the rewards of helping others outweighed those thoughts. In some cases, Sampert has responded to accidents or fires and found friends in need.

Sampert recalls a fire in Dalton Gardens in which he and another firefighter responded. While inside, a citizen helper sprayed water at the structure, but it drove the fire and gases on top of Sampert and his partner.

"It forced us out the back door in a violent way," Sampert said. "We were puking our guts out and I remember wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into."

Administrative role

The Kootenai County district Sampert led prior to the consolidation with Post Falls Fire had nine full-time employees. Post Falls Fire had 11.

Today, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue has 55 full-time employees.

The consolidation, Sampert said, improved service and didn't draw the controversy some mergers bring.

"It was tremendously good," Sampert said of the consolidation. "It was the best thing we could've done for both Post Falls and District 1. We've done a lot better job for our constituents because of the consolidation."

Sampert said he believes that, with the exception of perhaps Coeur d'Alene due to it being a larger city, Kootenai County would be best served with a single fire agency.

He said there's pockets throughout the county that aren't served by a fire agency.

He said if lives are in jeopardy, neighboring districts will respond. They also respond to fires, but the agencies have a moral obligation and an allegiance to those who are paying for the service.

"We've gone outside our area and if lives are involved we'll get there as fast as we can, but the issue comes back to who owns the equipment," he said. "Those are issues we struggle with."

Sampert said KCFR's training campus, which was dedicated on Sept. 11 and includes a tower, train cars and other training structures, was a milestone.

"But it wasn't about me," he said. "Lynn Borders and I started working on it several years ago and it became reality because nearly 100 personnel contributed in some manner and it had the support of our commission."

Moving ahead

KCFR has tapped a consultant to conduct a national search for Sampert's replacement. Area leaders where KCFR serves will provide input on what they're looking for in a new chief.

"Because we are a tight community, we felt it is important for those folks to have a say in who the new chief will be," Sampert said.

KCFR plans to move into its new administrative offices in the former Coldwell Banker building on Seltice Way after it is finished being remodeled this winter. The existing offices will be converted into the training campus as classrooms, storage and other uses.

In his retirement, Sampert said he plans to remain in North Idaho, spend time with family and fish.

He hasn't ruled out the thought of running for a local office.

Looking back, Sampert said he'd like to think he's been a part of creating a reliable, financially-sound district without a lot of fanfare.

"We are an agency that has quietly gone about our business to protect our constituents," he said.

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