With the recent decision by Shoshone County’s two fire districts to consolidate into a single entity, Silver Valley Fire Rescue, many residents have been curious about what the merger will look like when it takes effect next month. 

Currently, each district has its own fire chief. Under the new structure, Scott Dietrich will serve as fire chief in a primarily administrative role, while John Miller will take on the role of assistant fire chief, focusing on operations and training. 

Crews will operate on three rotating shifts, working 48 hours on duty followed by 96 hours off. Each shift will include one captain, two lieutenants, three firefighters, one resident volunteer and an officer, either a captain or lieutenant, at each station. 

Shoshone Fire District 1 currently employs seven full-time personnel: a chief/advanced EMT, a captain/paramedic, two lieutenants/paramedics and three firefighters (two paramedics and one EMT), along with three resident volunteers, all working the 48/96 schedule. 

Shoshone Fire District 2 has 14 full-time personnel: a chief/paramedic, two captains (one paramedic, one advanced EMT), four lieutenants (three advanced EMTs, one EMT), six firefighters (one paramedic, two advanced EMTs, three EMTs), and a fire marshal/advanced EMT. 

These personnel will be combined to staff the new district’s three active stations in Kellogg, Osburn and Pinehurst. Volunteer-staffed stations in Wallace, Rose Lake and Medimont will continue to operate as needed. 

Each station, including the volunteer locations, will house vehicles and equipment. All stations will have at least one fire engine. The five ambulances managed by the Shoshone County Ambulance Service District will be stationed in Kellogg, Osburn and Pinehurst. 

The combined budget, following consolidation, will total $3.3 million with no increase; it will result from the merger of the two existing budgets, including the recently approved District 1 budget of $1.3 million and the District 2 budget of $2 million.

One major concern surrounding the consolidation has been the tax impact: District 2 residents will see an increase, while District 1 residents will see a decrease, as levy rates are equalized. This disparity has led to public questions about how the new district plans to save money over time. 

“This consolidation is geared toward improving firefighter safety, an improved coordinated response to community emergencies, firefighter retention, and medium- to long-term cost savings to the taxpayers,” Dietrich said. “These cost savings will come from reduced redundancies in apparatus and equipment and improved employee retention.” 

Employees will also see less mandatory overtime, which is expected to contribute to cost savings. 

In 2018, voters approved a 30-year, $2.9 million bond to fund construction of a new firehouse for Fire District 2 in Kellogg and to refurbish the Pinehurst station. In 2017, voters approved a 30-year, $1.9 million bond for a new firehouse for Fire District 1 in Osburn. The remaining balances on these bonds will continue to be paid by the districts that originally approved them. 

“Overall, there are lots of positives,” Miller said. “People won’t see a lot of savings in the beginning, but more so down the road as things get combined into one versus two. At the end of the day, I don’t think the public cares what department you work for as long as you respond to help. I don’t think the public cares if you are a paid firefighter or not, nor has anyone ever asked.” 

Following the official merger, the current commissioners from each district will meet to determine how the new district will be governed, including whether to establish a three-person or five-person board.