Three vie for commission position in Spokane County Fire District 3

Voters in southwestern Spokane County will choose among three candidates with a wide variety of experience for a seat on the commission overseeing Spokane County’s largest fire district.

Spokane County Fire District 3 covers 570 square miles of southeastern Spokane County. The northern part of the district near Medical Lake was devastated in 2023 by the Gray fire, which destroyed 240 homes.

With 37 years of military experience and a decade as a volunteer firefighter, Mike Meyer wants to balance the district’s growing needs by prioritizing personnel and embracing new medical technology.

With roots in agriculture and transportation, Kent Reitmeier aims to bridge what he sees as a gap between citizens and fire officials during a period of rapid district growth. He said he would bring management expertise and community-focused leadership to the district.

Tim Flock brings 31 years of firefighting experience. As a current sitting commissioner and former battalion chief, Flock wants to focus on the critical challenges of wildland fire threats and maintaining emergency services within budget constraints.

On district growthAll three candidates agreed that the immense growth the district is experiencing is a significant challenge.

“I see the biggest challenge as growth,” Reitmeier said. “District 3 has 570 square miles, and it’s very diverse. If you look one direction, you’re going to have farming, wheatland and so on. If you look in the other direction, you’re going to have forest trees. … We’re a very diverse district, and I’d like to be part of the growth.”

Meyer noted the district serves diverse landscapes and areas.

“We have homes that have long driveways out of the woods, and to provide them the same level of protection we would for someone who lives in a more community area is very, very difficult, and those are some of the biggest challenges we have going for us right now,” Meyer said.

Flock said the district serves 30,000 residences, an amount that’s growing.

“The call volume due to our population growth is really, really starting to strain the workforce,” Flock said. “So there’s got to be something that gives in to that.”

On budgetMeyer said the most important job of district leaders is staying focused on the personnel and training.

“I would start by being very, very astute and very critical of the budgets that are set up and make sure that we have the money going towards the personnel that we need to get the job done, because it’s people that get the jobs done,” Meyer said. “We just have to be careful and review the budget to see where the money is being spent. Training is a huge deal, as that’s where we get our volunteers, EMTs and some paramedics trained to a level where they can respond on their own and handle the situation.”

Flock said his goal would be to maintain the district’s current budget, but he added that investing in quality equipment is essential.

He said it’s important to ensure all firefighters – whether full time, part time or volunteer – have the best possible equipment and training to handle any emergencies that may arise.

Flock is not completely against increasing the budget, emphasizing that communication is crucial when doing such actions.

Reitmeier wants to prioritize obtaining newer equipment.

“Going back to my years of farming and working with DOT, if you don’t stay up with the technology, then you fall behind. There’s so much technology in all of this equipment that you have to stay up with and maintain your equipment.

“If you don’t start and plan ahead, and it’s going to be too overwhelming, then you’re probably going to have to eventually ask the residents for a levy of some sort. But if you stay on top of the budget and manage it, you won’t have to ask that much of a tax increase.

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