Rural Fire Departments in Idaho Learn Equipment Isn’t Insured

Several rural volunteer fire departments in north-central Idaho are in danger of losing much of their equipment after officials learned it was uninsured.

Idaho County officials previously believed the fire trucks and other equipment loaned to fire departments by the Idaho Department of Lands and the U.S. Forest Service were covered under the county’s insurance policy.

They recently learned that’s not the case, and now county commissioners, state employees and local fire department representatives are trying to figure out how to fix the problem.

Jerry Mason with the Idaho Counties Risk Management Pool says the state and federal agencies may be able to loan the equipment directly to the counties instead of the rural departments to get them covered.

Commission Chairman Skip Brandt says fortunately they haven’t needed to file a claim so far.