City officials and members of Idaho Falls Fire break ground of Fire Station 6

City of Idaho Falls officials and members of Idaho Falls Fire tossing dirt marking the start of the construction of Station 6. | Daniel V. Ramirez, EastIdahoNews.com 

IDAHO FALLS — On a cold, windy and sunny day, Idaho Falls Fire Department celebrated the start of the construction of Fire Station 6 on Wednesday morning.

The land for the new station, at 2767 Spitfire Street, was bought in 2022, according to a news release from the city of Idaho Falls,

The release states the new station will include “multiple bays to house frontline fire engines, ambulances, and personnel, and will also address current storage limitations.”

Fire Chief Duane Nelson said this new station will meet the city’s needs as it expands to the north.

“We’ve been working on this project for the last two to three years to identify the location and identify funding sources for this project,” Nelson said.

Nelson said the fire department funded the project by using the remaining monies from the American Rescue Act Plan and selling no longer used property on 8th Street near Holmes Avenue.

According to the Idaho Falls City Council agenda on Nov. 22, the project was approved for $2,632,708 in a bid by Big-D Construction.

Nelson told EastIdahoNews.com his goal for the new station was to ensure residents would not see an increase in their taxes and is glad that did not happen.

“This can’t happen without the support from the community, the support of the mayor and council and the city as a whole. Projects like this just don’t come along very often, and it takes a lot of people, a lot of vision and a lot of creativity to make things like this a reality,” Nelson said.

According to the release, the Idaho Falls Fire Department has seen an increase in calls since 2018, with an average of 1,000 calls per year. In 2021, the department saw a 3,000-call spike, totaling 17,230.

“IFFD not only provides fire protection to the city of Idaho Falls and most of Bonneville County, but also has contracts to provide EMS services to all of Bonneville County and portions of Jefferson and Bingham counties,” the release states.

Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper said the station will help the department respond to calls more quickly.

The station will be able to respond to both EMS and fire-related calls in about 5 minutes from the new station, according to the news release.

“Where we are here physically right now is one of those places where we can provide optimal service to a growing part of our community,” Casper said.

Casper said this project and past projects like the Idaho Falls Police Complex and opening Fire Station 1 and 7 are sources of pride in supporting the department leaders who help make these projects a reality.

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“We have some really outstanding leaders in the city. … They’re wise, they’re professional, and they are able to do the kind of planning that every single resident would be proud of,” Casper said. “It’s pride in that I get to know them, and get to benefit from the work they do and cheer them on.”