Emergency Services

Avimor (in all three counties) is part of the Eagle Fire District (EFD). For all current residents of Eagle, the Eagle Fire District property tax bill is the third largest item, behind only schools and Ada County. A 2014 agreement between Eagle Fire Protection District and Avimor states that a fire station will be equipped and staffed in Avimor when 2500 houses are built, when call volume exceeds 200 in a year or when tax revenues allow, whichever comes first.

Avimor pays a “Mitigation Fee” of $500/residence to Eagle Fire for each residence built. So if 2,500 homes ends up being the trigger for a station to be built, $1,250,000 will have been paid in Mitigation Fees. This is not adequate to build or equip a station.

The same agreement states that Avimor would donate land for a fire station. Large developments often donate land for schools, although the huge costs of standing up a new school are borne by the district as a whole. Similarly, the long-term costs for staffing a station there are significant, and those will be borne by everyone in the District.

There have been multiple fires in Avimor since its inception. As far as we know, all of them so far have begun at Highway 55. Their current service level is 3W, and their response times are all outside of targets. At this point that should be of more concern to residents of Avimor than Eagle, but we should still be concerned about long-term costs to current residents of the Eagle Fire District when a station is built there. These will be to some extent (but not nearly entirely) mitigated by collection of impact fees.

The relocation of the station on Floating Feather and Old Horseshoe Bend roads to somewhere near the corner of Beacon Light Road and State Highway 55 will provide some improvement in response times to Avimor, but they will still be above the “under 5 minute” service objective (see the update on other upcoming Eagle Fire District Capital Plans below).

Spring Valley/M3 is currently in the Star Fire District, so at this time will be served by them.

More General Updates on EFD Capital Plans for Eagle

Attached below are maps showing the current response times for EFD in the City as currently comprised as well as response times once the Lakemoor and Hwy 55/Beacon Light stations are active.

Hidden Springs Firehouse

Thanks to a Joint Powers Agreement between the North Ada County Fire & Rescue (NACFR) and EFD, the Hidden Springs Firehouse that has been empty since the inception of the community will finally be active in 2022. Hidden Springs reportedly now generates enough property taxes for NACFR to equip and staff a station. They have chosen to do that through an agreement with EFD. NACFR will supply the building and apparatus, and EFD will provide the staff (which will be reimbursed by NACFR). SOS Eagle is further researching this situation and will provide an update when possible.

Lakemoor Station

This is EFD’s highest priority station. They own land for it – we believe it is the commercial property right beside the greenbelt at the entrance to Lakemoor. Work on design has begun, but it may be another 2-3 years until it is open. Some reports estimate a $2M cost to build the station, and costs to staff the station are being set aside in advance to support it. This station may well have an engine equipped for medical response as well as fire. There might also be E-bikes in this location to assist in rescues along the greenbelt.

Hwy55/Beacon Light, Floating Feather Road and Bogart Road intersections

There is a plan on the books to construct a station at the corner of Bogart Lane and State Street). It is slated for design in 2022 and build in 2023. Boise will own that station. This is a critical step toward closing the Floating Feather Road station, as it is often called to that Northwest Boise neighborhood. You’ll note the need for this station when you review the response time maps below.

The next Capital Plan investment is to build a new station at the corner of Beacon Light Road and Hwy 55 and subsequently close the station at Floating Feather Road and Old Horseshoe Bend Road. Specific land selection and purchase for the Hwy55/Beacon Light are not finalized. This station will be larger (which couldn’t be accomplished on Floating Feather). It is possible that multiple agencies could co-locate there. Ada County EMS, for example, stated such an intention in their annual budget presentation this year.

The extent to which training facilities are included have not been decided, although the presence of a large training facility on Joplin that could be shared might mean a vertical facility is not needed. At this time we see horizontal training (cutting into cars, e.g.) happening on various lots around town, so that might be a possibility at this new location. Timing for design and build of this station is not known.

As you review the response time maps you will see that this improves response times for much of Eagle, including the near in foothills areas. There are some areas that will be further away from the Floating Feather Rd. station – Eagle Middle School, for example.

Will current Eagle residents pay higher insurance rates as a result of an Avimor annexation?

We have been told this will not happen, as the plans for stations in the current covered area will provide the same or better level of coverage they have in the past.

Questions we hear about the EFD Commission

Some have asked why the EFD Commissioners are paid and have benefits as well. As we understand it, that’s because they are a separate entity and not incorporated within a municipality. The Star Fire District seems to be similarly organized.

Current Eagle Fire Department response times

Future Eagle Fire Department response times

Boise Dev article