Public safety: Police and fire departments seek solutions to city’s growth
By Ben Fletcher - Idaho Press-Tribune
NAMPA — Local police have a plan that will put officers near areas of Nampa that are growing the fastest.
Nampa Police officials are poised to receive several more officers in upcoming years to keep pace with 8- to 10-percent population growth in the city.
The support of Nampa city leaders to keep adequate officer-to-resident ratios is good news to police.
However, it creates another issue to contend with — where to put them.
That’s where the Nampa Fire Department fits in.
Nampa’s downtown police headquarters is already crowded. So Nampa Police Chief Curtis Homer said he’s discussed using office space at future fire stations that have yet to be built.
“We would have officers working in and out of those substations most of the time so we can be closer to where our growth is going to be,” Homer said of one of the benefits.
Nampa Fire officials say they will need a new fire station each year for four years to keep up with current growth.
Nampa Fire Deputy Chief Doug Strosnider said the department hopes to begin construction on the city’s fifth fire station, located east of the airport on Happy Valley, some time in October.
By the time that station is finished and fully staffed — probably 6 to 8 months — Strosnider said it will be time to construct a sixth station off Lake Lowell, west of Middleton Road.
Those plans still must be approved by the Nampa City Council during the budgeting process.
“When somebody’s having a heart attack, 10 minutes is too late,” Strosnider said, referring to response times.
Strosnider said it makes sense for police and firefighters to share space, thereby keeping those response times to a few minutes.
“We’re all in this together, police and fire ... we’re all here to serve the citizens,” Strosnider said. “That’s what public safety is all about.”
Nampa’s police and firefighting forces already share a substation located off Flamingo, behind the Karcher Mall.
Homer said offices in newly built fire stations would be less extravagant, probably housing a couple of desks.
It would allow officers to take reports, sparing some residents a trip downtown. That would save some traffic, the chief said.
Homer said a new police substation also needs to be built near Skyview High School.
Strosnider said citizens need to find a way to keep public safety a priority, even though funding will need to be addressed.
“These are our No. 1 things to take care of,” he said.
