North of the Narrows Fire District

North of the Narrows Fire District
Service and Dedication: The Right Stuff By: Scott Robinson

In early January a major firestorm struck Southern California causing catastrophic devastation to the communities of Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon. Several thousand homes and numerous lives were lost. The men and women firefighters who responded both locally and from surrounding states, including Idaho, were true heroes who put their lives in harm’s way to fight this conflagration. We salute you for your service and dedication to protect lives and property without boundaries.

What is a hometown hero? A hometown hero is dedicated to helping others. They are inspiring, courageous, compassionate and of good character, along with other kind and good qualities. Priest Lake has its own hometown heroes serving our communities in the capacity of volunteer firefighters and EMS providers. We rely on our volunteers as our first line of defense. Over the years our hometown volunteer ranks have been challenged. According to the NFPA (National Fire Protections Association) some of the root causes for declining recruitment and retention are: loss of community feeling, less interest and/or time for volunteering (higher training standards) as well as additional training demands to provide a broader range of services. Many volunteer fire departments in rural settings are struggling to meet staffing needs. Here at Priest Lake we are not immune from this same dilemma. The North of the Narrows Fire District volunteer ranks fluctuate year-round. We must take this into account because we are a multi-hazard fire department responding to all types of fires, traffic accidents, hazardous conditions, ice rescue, marine and medical incidents as requested. Due to more training and expectations for responding to more than just fires retention of volunteers has become difficult for all the departments around the lake. We need your help and support to better serve our Priest Lake communities by becoming a hometown hero. We also need your donations to Friends of the North of the North of the Narrows, a 501© 3 organization.

Please come to our annual open house being held this July 5th, 2025 from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm at the NNFD fire station located at 14374 Eastshore road. Everyone is invited to attend as we will offer fireboat rides, food, entertainment and showcase our new tactical tender and many other types of fire equipment used to protect our communities. Please follow us on Facebook and visit our website at: https://northofthenarrowsfire.org for more information.

Fire Chief Scott Robinson came to North of the Narrows Fire District in 2021. He is a 40-year veteran in Fire and EMS having served as a firefighter/paramedic.

14374 Eastshore road, Coolin

208-597-2990 Northofthenarrowsfiredistrict@yahoo.com