Same Fire Truck, New Name

Pick up the phone and dial 911 and the same fire truck will arrive at the door.

But, as of this week, the truck will come from the Spokane Valley Fire Department, not Spokane County Fire Protection District No. 1.

At the district’s request, Spokane County Commissioners changed the name on Tuesday to the one that Valley residents have always used. The official name was simply too long and awkward, said Assistant Chief Dave Lobdell.

Actually, the department now has two names. Spokane Valley Fire Department will be the common name, but Spokane County Fire District 1 will be used on legal documents to comply with a state law that requires that the department be identified as a “district,” Lobdell said.

“District” shows that the department is independent, governed by its own board and collects its own taxes, Lobdell said.

“Department” typically means an agency is a branch of a municipal government, although the word has become a generic term for any firefighting agency.

, DataTimes