ATHOL - The Timberlake Fire Protection District, which serves the Athol, Bayview and Chilco areas, has extended its contract with Northern Lakes Fire for administrative and support services for another year.

The contract is for the next fiscal year that starts on Saturday and runs through Sept. 30, 2012.

Timberlake has utilized Northern Lakes, which serves Hayden, Rathdrum and Hayden Lake, for more than a year.

The amount of the contract - $90,000 per year - remains the same. Of that amount, $80,000 is for administration and $10,000 for training.

Timberlake commissioners have praised the relationship with Northern Lakes, saying it has saved the district from paying salaries and benefits to a chief, administrative assistant, part-time training officer and part-time technical advisor. It has also drawn from the experience of a larger district.

Timberlake is also seeking a division chief that would work under Northern Lakes Chief Dean Marcus and Deputy Chief Ralph Kramer as a Timberlake employee.

The salary for Timberlake's division chief is between $50,000 and $55,000 per year.

"The position ... is to provide better customer service for the residents of Timberlake Fire Protection District," said Jim Lyon, spokesman for Northern Lakes and Timberlake. "This person will assume much of the day-to-day responsibilities of Timberlake Fire and provide on-site supervision to personnel and activities in their district."

The division chief will have an office at Timberlake Station 1 in Athol.

Timberlake has been operating for more than a year without a chief since the board decided to not renew the contract of Jack Krill due to financial reasons.

Krill recently accepted the assistant chief position in Jerome and will start on Saturday.