2025 Annual Meeting

BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:

Tim Martin - Fire Chief

Dave Blyton

Don Holland

John Kvamme

Jim Miller

Doug Peters

Rich Pickens

George Hollinger

BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: N/A

Sun. Aug. 31st, 2025. Meeting start time: 10:15am

Fire Chief Tim:

• Spoke about adopting bylaws. Printed copies distributed to Board members.

• Board oversight requested for determining what membership in KB PC VFD would look like and how it can be established/maintained. For example: membership could be $20/year or $5/year. A benefit of establishing membership: potentially increase active participation. Membership could be directly connected with the ability to vote on issues pertaining to KB PC VFD.

• Question to be discussed by Board: Will members still retain voting rights if they are not actively participating in KB PC VFD?

• Board member elections: alternating elections to ensure every position won’t change in a single year. For example: ½ of the positions every 2 years.

• Shared a story about someone having a medical emergency requiring a helicopter evacuation pickup in KB Meadow. Bill was $49,000. Strongly encouraged people to look into purchasing insurance to cover emergency medical evacuations. For example: MASA (Medical Access & Service Advantage) or Life Flight.

• Discussion about having the existing carry board more easily accessible, potentially hung up and visible.

• Tim proposed the purchase of 2 defibrillators with KB PC VFD funds and making them accessible to the community.

Tim shared a priority is to complete the project of setting up a pump and pipes to move water up the draw next to Shield’s/Peters cabins.

• Jim: Connections, foot valve, pipe to go into lake have been purchased.

• Tim: has concrete

DON: Spoke about Buckskin Saddle vacant seat for ranger. Shared about Chris Noyes and a group from Montana speaking to a judge about grizzly bears and the judge ruled in favor of Buckskin. Logging not expected for at least 24 months. Don has been advocating for Kilroy and Pinecove to be the first priority to improve roads and remove hazardous fuels. However, it sounds like the plan is to actually start far East of Buckskin at Little Creek (sp?). Spoke about rock material transporting to take care of 2711. Chris did reach out to him and is aware of the need to connect with a hazardous fuels team (for KB & PC as mentioned earlier). Heather Fuller was in Bonner’s County and is now in Boundary County. Thought a timber sale might occur soon. Spoke about rocks in the Little Creek area.

Dave: spoke about gravel pits in the nearby area.

Fire Chief TIM:

• Asked for a vote of the Board to look into purchasing 2 defibrillators and the vote was unanimously in favor.

• Spoke about Sunset Fire embers landing in the KB & PC area. Volunteers and board members took action to make sure pumps were running etc.

• Suggested for the future a need for the Board to adopt some “Ready, Set, Go” procedures for what to do in that type of scenario.

• Concern: hoses left out in people’s yards etc., Board needs to figure out a system for it to work more smoothly for rolling hoses, as they are heavy to move.

• If we modeled after the Forest Service then there would be no charcoal BBQ. At least have a bucket of water nearby. Don’t want to have to post signs everywhere, but maybe at the bottom of the hill and Pinecove. Also, where could something be posted for visiting boaters to be able to see.

GROUP CONVERSATION about where to post signs and what they might look like (color coded was suggested). Also a suggestion about inspections, especially regarding burning areas which are in potentially hazardous locations, such as under trees so as to inform people of the dangers.

Fire Chief TIM:

• Last summer he received a couple of calls about people with open fires. He didn’t directly tell them to put out the fires. However, he did share with them that they should be prepared with water in case an ember floated away and started a fire such as on the hillside above the location of the fire.

• In response to a comment about people not being aware of the website for KB PC FD: Nancy could send out an email regarding high fire danger and include a direct link to the website.

• In response to a comment about burn ban enforcement, Tim spoke about following the timeline of the Forest Service but not requiring/enforcing people having a burn permit. Mentioned that Nancy could also email a reminder to check the website before burning.

GROUP CONVERSATION about fire message board, which could include KB PC VFD website URL and also information about current burn ban status. A list of phone numbers for the Fire Chief and Board members to call in case of an emergency. A laminated list of what to do along with training for how to use the equipment. Also, video trainings posted online could be helpful.

• DOUG: Gave permission to have a sign posted on his property to help inform people who are driving through the area and unaware of the fire danger.

• Fire Chief TIM: Maybe that sign would also be a good location for the Kilroy Bay defibrillator, one on the road and one on the beach.

GROUP CONVERSATION:

• FYI there is a 260 gallon water reservoir holding behind Don’s cabin in Pinecove with a sign to help make the location more visible. Gravity fed so it works even without electricity.

• Suggestion: Create a map with equipment location and post it on the KB PC VDF information board.

• Suggestion: creation of sub committees to handle projects such as video tutorials and creation of signage.

QUESTION: Anyone is a trained EMT.? No one present was. Suggested people consider taking an EMT course. If someone IS trained medically, having something on the exterior of their cabin to indicate could be helpful.

Fire Chief TIM:

• Didn’t have a current account balance after most recent donations. However, proposed the idea of the Board determining a set amount to set aside from donations to be earmarked for the construction of a pole barn with roof. For example, 15% of all donations could automatically be set aside and this would also enable people to make a direct donation specifically for the pole barn. He can work with Nancy (Treasurer) to set that up.

• Discussion about the existing 2 ton truck not being saleable (per Jim) and that it would make more sense to have 2 smaller one ton trucks that more people can drive because right now only 3 people are even able to drive the 2 ton truck. Tim has a lead to potentially acquire 2 one ton trucks before they go to auction Spring 2026.

• Fire Chief TIM: Needs a resolution of where to put a reservoir (in Pine Cove).

• Jim: shared some logistical information regarding the pending Pine Cover reservoir tank.

• Group discussion about how to fill the buried reservoir tank once it’s installed (fire trucks versus Jim’s well). If deep enough it shouldn't freeze and thus won’t need to be drained seasonally. Discussion about 1” coil to run down the bank, need permission from (Steve?) comment about needing something larger than 1” to move enough water, Derrick offered use of the 150’ of 1.5” hose that he already has.

• Fire Chief TIM: Will continue to work with Jim on moving forward with the project.

• Discussion about priority project to install pump/pipe up draw between Peter’s and Shield’s cabin: 200 ft of 2” aluminum pipe has been purchased and can be delivered to Garfield Bay. Need to coordinate multiple boats with windows/hatches that can open at the front in order to transport the pipe. 35 sticks that are 30’ feet long.

• Fire Chief TIM: Pipe needs to be brought across soon before the water is lowered.

• Jim: Where will the pipe be moved to once it is transported across the lake? Also shared that he created a firebreak across the ridge with his excavator above Hyers and last cabins. He usually does that a couple of times annually.

• Fire Chief TIM: Board approved last year to pay % of Jim’s fuel. Based on his rough memory he thought it was around $400 last year but would have to double check numbers.

• Discussion about contacting Forest Service to alert them about KB PC VFD masticating a fire line by old cabin.

• Fire Chief TIM: Any questions about membership? (None)

Dave: will pass along his daughter Melissa’s email in a future membership email. Members can make suggestions to her of what to add/change on the website, she welcomes ideas.

Suggestion was made to schedule a training session on a date other than Memorial Day due to a personal family conflict and advance notice (6 months) requested.

• Fire Chief TIM: Shared idea of elections being held at annual Memorial Day meeting

Question about status of KB PC VFD: confirmed that it is a 501 C 3.

Fire Chief TIM: Need to have bylaws in place.

Dave: Idaho has lots of free training videos available for volunteer fire departments. (Could be linked on KB PC VFD website.)

Question asked about the cost to construct a pole building with a roof.

Doug: originally drafted plans several years ago and has reached out to Avista for funding with the monies they are required to spend on local fire mitigation but the project has not been accepted (funding requested 2X).

• Discussion about the challenge of receiving grant monies because we aren’t a taxing district.

Discussion about the need to assess hose situation. Thought is that there used to be more than what could be located recently during the Sunset Fire situation. Some trucks don’t have any hose on them anymore. Voss confirmed the hose from his dock had been returned to FD storage. Doug shared that miles of hoses from the recent fire in the area will not be picked up. Someone mentioned contacting Chris Deforest and Heather about possibly procuring some of those hoses from IDL.

Jim: going to level out the meadow and he already dropped a tree that hindered the recent helicopter landing, and is going to put in an H to make it easier to see. SEE BELOW FOR FINISHED PAD.

ADJOURNED @ 11:24 AM