Star-Tribune Editorial Board

The Casper-Natrona County International Airport Board has made an offer to the Natrona County Fire Protection District that appears hard to refuse.

The district is seeking a location for a new fire station west of Casper. Last week the board made a formal offer of three possible parcels of land, a commitment to build a $500,000 station, and a lease agreement of only $4,000 per month. All of the infrastructure for the facility, including sewer and water lines, is already in place.

Another option the district is considering is building a station near Robertson Road and Highway 220, or near the proposed West Belt Loop connecting the two highways. But the latter road isn't going to be completed for about five years, according to the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

Unlike the airport's offer, the Robertson Road location would have water, but not sewer lines. It would add a considerable amount to the project to put in the lines.

Residents of the Vista West subdivision, anxious to obtain better fire protection because of their isolation from the city of Casper, want the district to approve the airport board's location since it would be nearby. But Fire Protection District Chief Clyde Young is concerned that the airport location on U.S. Highway 20-26 would lengthen the response time to calls from residences and businesses on the southwesterly Wyoming Highway 220 toward Alcova.

At a recent meeting that was mediated by Natrona County commissioners, Vista West resident Don Wolcott correctly noted that more people live in his and neighboring subdivisions than live in Alcova. He could also have mentioned the fact that there are many industrial buildings in his area that also need protection and could be better served by the airport location.

Right now, Alcova fire and emergency medical service calls are handled by the Casper fire station in Paradise Valley, which is the closest one available.

The frustrating aspect of the fire station discussion has been the reluctance of the Fire Protection District Board to make a decision. Vista West area residents have a right to be upset. They've been asking for a fire station since 1993, yet are apparently nowhere closer to seeing a deal finalized.

Meanwhile, the rapidly expanding east side already has the fire station it wanted built, along with a county morgue.

The district isn't hurting for money. A three mill property tax levy funds the district, which received about $1.5 million in mill levy revenues in 2006 and $1.9 million in 2007. It could afford to fund the construction of a west side fire station. The district also could sell the current fire station on Pheasant Drive and use the proceeds to build a new one.

But why go to the expense of doing that if the airport board is willing to build a $500,000 facility - one that already has all of its infrastructure in place?

We're at a loss to explain why the district has failed to act on this matter for years. There's no question that the west side needs its own fire station, and the best deal it's likely to get comes from the airport board, which could also benefit from the district's services.

Someone on the fire district board needs to step up and get this accomplished, before there's a fire that causes the loss of lives and/or major property damages.