Spokane County Fire District 3 achieved a major milestone in its 74-year history on Monday with the first raising of the American flag over its newly renovated Station 33 in Four Lakes.
“We’ll be staffing it 24/7, 365 days a year,” District 3 Battalion Chief Tom Brunke said. “And we will aid them with volunteers on-shift.”
One of 10 fire stations in the sprawling district’s 565 square mile area of responsibility, it’s the first-ever fulltime fire house, called a combination station because it will be continually staffed by both career and volunteer firefighters.
Three career fire captains will rotate on a 24-hour shifts while being supported by part time paid volunteers who will work 12-hour shifts with the duty captain.
The development of the station has been in the works for years, Brunke said, as the West Plains grew along with a corresponding increase in call volumes.