The pride of the Hauser Lake Fire Protection District is this $280,000 state-of-the-art brand new fire engine, brought on board last weekend by Assistant Fire Chief James Neils (left) along with three-year-old Walter Neils and Fire Chief Larry Simms. The new truck was purchased through a grant from the U.S. Fire Administration Federal Homeland Security as well as local support from Hauser Smoke Shop, Kootenai Electric, the Hauser Lake Water Association and DeMeester & DeMeester Property Management. The 50-year-old fire department currently maintains two tenders, a brush rig, a medical rescue truck, support van, a fire boat and a pumper. The new truck is the first ever “brand new” truck purchased by the 20-member volunteer department. “Acquiring this truck,” Chief Simms said, “has been a year in the making. Without our volunteers, district commissioners and community support, it never could have happened.”

Note: The Rathdrum Star is an independent, locally owned newspaper published each Wednesday by Panhandle Publishing Co., Inc. with advertising an editorial offices located at 8068 W. Main ST., Rathdrum, ID., 83858. The Star offers mailed subscriptions to Postal Zip Codes outside of 83858 and 83869 at $24 per year. Additionally, it will be mailed to every household in Hauser Lake, beginning the week of September 12, 2005, according to their note in Volume 1, Issue 49 dated September 14, 2005. Thanks to publisher Tom Burnett for sharing Hauser news!