Lewis County Fire District 5 to host grand opening for new apparatus bay

For decades, Napavine firefighters had to cross the street to reach their rigs.

Their personnel quarters were located in a building on one side of Washington Street, their emergency vehicles in a separate building on the other.

Oftentimes, the first responders had to wait for the cross signal to turn. Sometimes they had to tread over frozen ground. The routine added seconds - even minutes - to response times.

About five years ago, Dan Mahoney, then chief of Lewis County Fire District 5 (LCFD5), reached out to the state to request funding for a new station. After touring the old bay - built in the 1970s - state Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Chehalis, secured the appropriation.

"But there was no way that the $2 million appropriation that we received was going to build an entire new fire station," Interim Fire Chief Gregg Peterson said on July 1.

Peterson said the state allowed the district to modify its plan of building a new facility, letting the department add a separate apparatus bay 4 feet from its station.

"So that way we've got an apparatus bay, and we got basically a residence here," Peterson said.

Construction for the apparatus bay broke ground in May 2025. The building became operational June 15. To celebrate, LCFD5 will host a grand opening on Saturday, July 18, at 10 a.m.

The event coincides with the Napavine Funtime Festival.

The new building, built by MDK Construction, includes three apparatus bays, a workout room, a gear room, a medical storage room, bathrooms and an air purification system.

Instead of rolling doors, the new building has four-fold electric doors. Peterson said the rolling doors at the old building were in constant need of repair.

"These are guaranteed for hundreds of thousands of cycles," Peterson said.

The chief said the department plans to put a strobe light on the building's exterior that can be detected by the nearby intersection's traffic signal preemption system.

The system's detection device is attached to the traffic light poles at Washington Street and Second Avenue. Such devices are typically triggered by a rescue vehicle's emergency lights, allowing first responders the right of way. Still, the sequence gives time for pedestrians to cross the street.

The strobe lights will help start the process sooner, cutting down on response times. Peterson said the added prep time will also prevent holdups with semi trucks rounding the corner.

"I think we've thought about everything," Peterson said.

Peterson is in his fourth stint leading the Napavine-based department. His first stint began in 2014 following three decades as a professional firefighter in Auburn. Peterson most recently succeeded Jonathan Beck in October 2025, after Beck's contract was terminated without cause.

The chief said he plans to retire in September. His work isn't finished. Peterson said the district will add a modular home at Station 5-2 off Jackson Highway within the next two months.

"At times, we have up to six people in this building, six firefighters on duty," Peterson said. "And there's not enough rooms to keep six guys in. So when we have those additional people, we can send them down to the other facility and man that engine and aid car down there."

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