After budget expansion proposals brought forth by three local fire districts were turned down by voters in Tuesday’s election, Fire Chief Jeff Armstrong described his plan for the coming months and years, which includes “tough decisions” and looking for “creative ways” to manage personnel costs. 

Sagle, Westside and Northside fire districts, which protect the areas immediately to the south, west and north of Sandpoint, each proposed a levy override that would permanently increase their budgets through annual payments made by property owners. 

All three measures failed to reach 50% support and fell well short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass. Armstrong — who heads all three districts — outlined the changes that will result in a public statement Wednesday.

Armstrong said that he would work with staff across all districts to reexamine their automatic aid agreements — contracts between emergency response organizations that guarantee assistance in the event of a significant incident — and potentially scale back the number of resources the districts initially commit to any emergency. 

He added that he is working with the Idaho Department of Lands to revisit expectations for wildland fire response in his districts. 

“Sending resources to a call is only one aspect of operational readiness,” Armstrong stated. “We must also ensure there are resources available to cover the area and respond to any subsequent calls for service.” 

In Sagle Fire District, Armstrong announced he would advise commissioners to no longer station paid personnel at the agency’s Careywood facility after June 1 in order to conserve staffing dollars. 

“Those funds need to be shifted immediately to the maintenance of our aging fleet, fire station repairs, and equipment replacement,” he said. 

Armstrong noted that the district’s capital replacement plan shows a need to invest up to $900,000 toward facilities, vehicles and equipment in the next three to five years, and said that he is committed to ensuring the district operates in a financially sustainable manner. 

“The days of ‘kicking the can down the road’ are over!” he wrote. 

In Westside, Armstrong said the agency will maintain its staffing level of one full-time firefighter per day and prepare for an Idaho Surveying and Rating Bureau evaluation slated to occur in 2026, the outcome of which will determine the insurability of properties in the district. 

In Northside, Armstrong and stated that he expects staff members who the district has afforded through a grant to depart when the funding period expires, and anticipated difficulty maintaining other personnel at the current level of funding. 

“While I hope it won’t happen, prepare for vacancies created by firefighters who may now leave the organization,” Armstrong wrote. 

He also stated that the district’s Samuels station, situated near the northern border of Bonner County, will remain unstaffed in the near future. 

Leading up to the election, the districts hosted a series of open houses and other public events designed to improve residents’ understanding of the districts’ practices and procedures. 

“One of the things we saw through these discussions is that there are many folks who don’t know their fire district,” Armstrong wrote, adding that a belief held by some members of the public that the districts hired a consultant ahead of the election was false. 

Going forward, Armstrong urged residents who are skeptical about the districts’ efficiency to meet with responders and take a look at their financial track record. 

“For those that made statements regarding ‘waste,’ we challenge you to come in and examine our books,” he said. “Perhaps through this exercise, we can regain your trust.” 

Armstrong lastly addressed the personnel in his districts; he encouraged the responders to remain committed to providing the best service possible for their communities. 

“The future will be challenging but we will remain mission focused and intent on making our fire districts some of the best in North Idaho and ones that can be admired by our community,” he wrote.