Labels spark questions
Proposed fire station names could replace or join numbers
The Spokane Valley Fire Department is considering naming its fire stations rather than simply referring to them by numbers.
If fire commissioners go ahead with the change, the first to be renamed would be Station 10 on East Sprague near Flora. It would be called the Greenacres Station, taking its name from the surrounding neighborhood.
“The numbers only mean something to those of us that work here,” said Assistant Fire Marshal Clifton Mehaffey at a recent commissioners’ meeting. “They mean nothing to the public.”
Not many people know that Valley Fire Station 3 is in Liberty Lake. Most people already refer to it as the Liberty Lake station. Much the same is true of Station 2 in Millwood.
Station 10 would be the first to be rebranded, because a new station is under construction at the site on Sprague Avenue. A decision must be made soon so that a sign can be completed in time for the official dedication, planned for 9 a.m. on Sept. 11.
Commissioner Colby Hanson said that he was in favor of keeping the numbers in addition to naming the stations, because the numbers make it clear that each station is part of a larger agency. “They connect the dots,” he said. “It adds formality to it.”
Deputy Chief Larry Rider said that each station would get a new lighted sign with the department’s logo on it that would be clearly visible down the street. “We’re trying to put SVFD as a beacon out in front of those stations,” he said. “You’re going to see the color. It’s the brand.”
Commissioner Bill Anderson said he agreed with Hanson. “I don’t have anything against the ‘Greenacres’,” he said. “I just want a number with it.”
The other three commissioners seemed to side with Rider, saying that having both a name and a number for each station might be confusing. Renaming stations was suggested by the Customer Loyalty Effect Committee, which was formed by the department last year to study ways to increase community loyalty.
If the commissioners agree to a renaming plan at their next meeting Monday, the stations will be renamed gradually as funds allow. The idea is to give each station a name from its local community so people will instantly know what area the station is in. “We have to relate to our customer base,” said Commissioner Monte Nesbitt.