 Well, with the population in the greater Bemidji area continuing to grow, the demand for quick and efficient emergency response time has grown as well. Our Josh Peterson shows us how the implementation of a fourth fire station hopes to improve response time and keep everyone safe. After years of planning, the Bemidji Fire Department has expanded north. Leasing an 1,800 square foot garage, the department has spread out its resources to provide more effective coverage for their 522 square mile coverage area. That's after a lengthy process of not only identifying a need, but actually identifying a good location to serve our northern service area. When it came to adding station 4, the demographics of the area helped pick the ideal location for the facility. Fire station 4 has been strategically placed here at the intersection of Highway 71 North East and Winter Sumac Road, targeting an area that has seen significant growth. We have a large population that we serve in our northern area along with a good amount of building value up here and thus we know that we're going to have responses up here. For city officials, expanding to the north was the right thing to do by continuing a strong partnership with local townships. I think it's an example of a strong partnership that the city of Bemidji has with its rural fire partners. Over the years we've worked well and evaluated our service needs. If successful, the lease space after two years could lead to the construction of a permanent fire station 4. Since August 28th, the facility has already been used to respond to multiple calls. We have a two-year lease on the building that we're at right now. We're going to try that for a while and see if we can make an impact up here. In Bemidji, Josh Peterson, Lakeland News. The fire station currently has seven on-call firefighters who report to station 4. The new station includes a pickup truck for tools, a water tender truck and a structural fire engine. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.