KUNA, Idaho — Kuna is growing — both in population and in height — as new apartment and commercial buildings rise in the city. For Kuna Fire, that means adapting to handle emergencies in taller structures using the resources they have.
“Kuna is starting to look much different than it did 15-20 years ago,” Kuna Fire Chief T.J. Lawrence said.
Lawrence explained the department is preparing for more growth in town as three-story buildings pop up — like the new apartments under construction behind Bi-Mart off E. Deer Flat Road.
“We’re very good at single-story buildings, we’re very good at two-story buildings — they’re very common. But when you start getting up to three-story and four-story, that just changes tactics quite a bit,” said Lawrence.
WATCH | See how firefighters use a 28-foot ladder to access three-story buildings
Kuna doesn’t have any four-story buildings quite yet, but... “It’s coming, whether we want it or not,” said Assistant Fire Chief James Trumble.
Trumble says vertical growth is inevitable, but tackling taller buildings isn't exactly a new skill for firefighters.
“Although these buildings are new to Kuna, they’re not new to fire service and our training and our knowledge,” Trumble said.
To keep skills sharp, crews recently trained at a new three-story apartment complex under construction in town.
“So the biggest piece with the ground ladder is manpower. So you’ve got to at least have one person down on the bottom of the ladder footing it and then if you’re doing a rescue operation where you’re actually pulling the victim out, you’re gonna need to at least have two firefighters, one on the ladder, one inside the apartment maneuvering that individual. So, on a three person engine company — that’s your entire engine, that’s all you’re doing,” Trumble said.
Kuna Fire currently operates with two engine crews, so they are prepared for that kind of scenario. But without a ladder truck, they can't reach four-story buildings that may soon be built in town.
“If they do want to go to four stories they’re gonna have to clear it through the city, but they will also have to get our input on it and we will have to advise them that currently we don’t have anything that can reach the fourth floor,” Trumble added.
Kuna Fire hopes to fund a ladder truck using impact fees from new developments. Until then, crews will keep training to respond to emergencies using their 28-foot ground ladder.
