RATHDRUM — After six override levy defeats in 10 years, the most recent a $2 million proposal in November, Northern Lakes Fire District Chief Pat Riley is not proposing another one.

At least not now.

“Believe me, this is not a pitch for an override levy at all,” he told about 25 members of the Rathdrum Chamber of Commerce on Thursday at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. “Not doing it. We’re not going there. We’re not there. This is definitely the most wrong time.”

Instead, he hopes the district will be successful in its application for a federal grant that would fund 12 firefighters for three years.

They are in the final stages of applying for a grant through Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER), a program created to provide funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations.

Riley said when the district formed in 2000 it received about 670 calls a year. Last year, it received about 6,500 calls at stations in Hayden and Rathdrum.

The district covers about 108 square miles that includes Hayden, Rathdrum and Twin Lakes, with a combined population of more than 60,000 residents.

“Our ambulance response area is not that 108 square miles,” Riley said. “Our ambulance response area is anywhere in the county.”

Northern Lakes Fire has 36 full-time firefighters/EMTs. Its current staffing is 13 on duty per day maximum and minimal staffing of nine. They are split between the two stations.

A third station is needed, Riley said, and plans are to build one in Garwood at the location of an old storage building.

“We have held levy override elections several times. We were unsuccessful,” he wrote. “So, we sought out alternative means to provide the third station. We found a plausible solution and are seeking financing for it. I will be using impact fees to pay for the actual building. The public spoke, and we listened clearly. We are genuinely making growth pay for growth.”

He said Rathdrum has enacted impact fees that will benefit the fire district and Hayden is expected to do the same.

“This is not a tax, and two, this is not meant to punish anybody," Riley said. "This is the fair share that the growth coming in will pay to offset, manage and pay for itself for the increase on the demand on the infrastructure. That’s the whole reason I'm doing this.”

Riley said if they are successful in landing the federal grant and add 12 firefighters, a challenge awaits when the grant funds run out after three years.

“We're going to be at a tough crossroads, where then I'm going to be coming to the public and asking for an override levy to cover that,” he said. “We paid for the first three years and if I'm not successful in a permanent override levy, I have to lay off 12 people and close a brand-new fire station.”

Riley said he can’t stop growth, nor does he want to.

But he can let people know that new developments may not have the fire protection response time they would like, considering the district's current staffing and high number of service calls.

"We can't control what people build but what we can control is how quick we get responders to incidents and there's only two ways to do that: Put more units on the street or, somehow, through prevention and education, reduce fires and medical costs."

Riley said the most natural thing would be to put more units on the street, "but do it manageably and do it smart."

"This isn't a political speech," he continued. "Be responsible with the taxpayer money and things will work well. Don’t, and they won't."