STAR, Idaho — Firefighters, local leaders and neighbors gathered Tuesday morning to celebrate the official opening of Star Fire Protection District's Station 55, marking a milestone years in the making for one of the Treasure Valley's fastest-growing communities.
The grand opening ceremony included a station dedication, a traditional hose uncoupling ceremony, and a push-in of the station's fire engine, a fire service tradition dating back to the days when horse-drawn apparatus had to be pushed back into fire stations by hand.
Middleton-Star Fire Chief Greg Timinsky welcomed attendees and thanked the many people involved in bringing the project to completion, including fire commissioners, city leaders, neighboring fire departments, firefighters, and community members.
"Opening a new fire station represents more than just a new building; it represents our community, our commitment to protecting our community, improving response times, and being here when our neighbors need us the most," Timinsky said.
Star Mayor Trevor Chadwick also addressed the crowd, noting the city's role in helping make the project possible.
"This has been long awaited," Chadwick said.
The station has already been serving the community for more than two weeks through a soft opening that began Oct. 25.
"Already ran over 60 calls in 15 days. Already saved at least 5 minutes in response time. So we are doing what we wanted to do for this part of this district, and these citizens over here are getting the service that they deserve. We're excited," Timinsky said.
According to fire district officials, the station is currently staffed through a temporary levy approved by voters earlier this year.
For nearby neighbors, the station's opening brings more than just another public building to the area.
"We are so excited and so thankful. We live around the corner, so this is our fire station. We were absolutely in support of funding this firehouse, and so we are just... we're so excited," said Star neighbor Julianne Brewer.
Brewer said hearing about the station's early impact on response times reinforced the importance of having firefighters closer to neighborhoods.
"I was so impressed when the chief said that the 5-minute response improvement... that is just major when it comes to injuries, accidents. I myself have had a house fire before in the middle of the night. So I am just so thrilled that, you know, we have such a quick response. We've got senior centers here, we've got schools, and this is just gonna make such a difference," Brewer said.
While Tuesday's event focused on celebrating the station's opening, supporters acknowledged the work ahead to ensure it remains available to serve the community.
"We will continue educating the public and hoping that we can keep this fire station available," Brewer said.
Timinsky said the station's impact extends beyond the neighborhoods immediately surrounding Station 55.
"The rest of Star gets a backup engine, so they don't have to wait for an engine to come from Eagle or Meridian. It's not that they still won't if we're really busy, but they have a backup, so this helps the entire district. It helps all the way from the north to the south, east and west. It helps everybody having an extra engine in here," he said.
While Tuesday's focus was on Station 55, district leaders are already preparing for another milestone. Timinsky said the district expects to open Station 54 in Middleton next summer as it continues expanding service across both communities.
"I hope the rest of the citizens can see that value. You know, seconds are everything when you're having a heart attack, a stroke, you're in a car accident, your house is on fire. I mean, 5 minutes doesn't seem like a lot of time. That's a huge amount of time when you're, when you're waiting for that engine to show up or that ambulance to show up. It's going to be there faster," Timinsky said.
Station 55 is now open and responding to emergencies in the Star community. The station is located at 9415 W. Floating Feather Rd, Star, ID 83669.
