Lewis County Fire District 5 in Napavine held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for a new apparatus bay that, once complete, will let firefighters cut a minute-and-a-half off of every response to a 911 call.
“That doesn’t seem like a great deal of time in a call, but … we’ll probably go out 1,400 times this year on calls — 1,400 times a minute-and-a-half comes to 35 hours of time that is lost responding to 911 calls, because we have to cross the street to get to the truck,” Interim Chief Gregg Peterson said during the groundbreaking ceremony.
District 5’s current fire apparatus bay is located at 105 Second Ave. NE, while the fire station is located across the street at 115 E. Washington St., meaning firefighters have to cross the street every time they’re dispatched — even in dangerous traffic or winter weather conditions.
“This winter, we’ll be able to walk right next door, get in the rigs, go out and be much safer,” Peterson said.
State Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, secured $2 million for a new District 5 apparatus bay in the 2022 capital budget after he toured the station in 2021.
In that same legislative session, Abbarno introduced a bill to establish a competitive grant program for rural fire districts to fund facility improvement.
“Now, that bill did not pass, but we were able to secure some of the funds in that competitive grant program in the capital budget, and those were the funds that were then awarded to this fire district for the project that … we just broke ground on,” Abbarno said at the groundbreaking ceremony on Monday.
Abbarno reintroduced the rural fire district facilities competitive grant program in this year’s legislative session and, though it did make it through committee this time around, it did not pass into law.
“We need to do a better job as a state helping our rural fire districts. We have a competitive grant program for libraries, but we don’t have one for rural fire districts, and that just amazes me,” Abbarno said, adding that he intends to reintroduce his bill in the next legislative session.
“My big push over the next year is working with all of the statewide associations of firefighters, commissioners, to make sure that we actually get this grant program passed and do the amazing things that you’re doing here in Napavine,” Abbarno said.
District 5 went out for bid on the project in October 2024 and ultimately contracted with MDK Construction, Inc. in Centralia.
The current estimated project cost is around $1.3 million, according to Peterson.
“The bid was under budget, which is wonderful. It makes me feel good, and we’re able to then add things to the building to make it a very complete building,” said Project Manager Frank Kirkbride.
MDK Construction crews will spend the next few months completing site work on District 5-owned property directly behind the existing fire station.
Crews will establish a foundation for a pre-manufactured steel building that will be delivered in early August, then spend the fall completing work on the inside of the structure.
The finished structure will have two restrooms with showers, a gear room, separate secure equipment and medical storage rooms, an exercise room and three apparatus bays with a capacity for two engines and two smaller units.
“Sometime after the first of the year, we’re looking to have it wrapped up and be finished and start saving that time and having our firefighters right here,” Kirkbride said.
“We’re honored to be getting a chance to get out and do this design build project,” said MDK Construction Sales Manager Steve Barnett. “Everybody’s been fantastic to work with — the building department, the fire department, our project manager … everything’s right on track, and we’re really loving it.”
Following the groundbreaking on Monday, the three members of the District 5 Board of Commissioners thanked Peterson, Kirkbride, Abbarno, the Napavine City Council, MDK Construction and others who championed the project over the years and are now making it a reality.
“A lot of people in this room are here to serve the public, and I think that’s what the priority is, from elected officials to our police to our firefighters, we’re here to serve the community, and this building itself is going to do a real good job of promoting safety for our guys and a quicker response,” said District 5 Commissioner Mike Goodwillie.
