Caldwell Fire Station 4 Breaks Ground at Lake Avenue and Karcher Road

CALDWELL — Caldwell Fire Station 4 is officially under construction. On Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, the city broke ground on the new fire station at the corner of Lake Avenue and Karcher Road in southeast Caldwell. The station is expected to open with one engine, Engine 14, in mid-November 2027.

Why southeast Caldwell needs Fire Station 4

The Caldwell Fire Department serves about 80,000 people and aims to reach emergencies in four minutes or less. Right now, it takes Engine 2 about 12 minutes to reach parts of southeast Caldwell, according to Idaho News 6.

"Station 4 puts an engine company right here in this neighborhood, and that helps us reach our goal that we've told the public, 'We'll be at your emergency in four minutes or less,'" Fire Chief Bryan Daniels said at the ceremony, as reported by the Idaho Press.

"When you call 911, the expectation is that somebody shows up and they show up fast," Daniels said.

What the new station will include

The station will be about 8,200 square feet, according to CBS2 Idaho News. Plans call for a fully outfitted gym, offices, individual dorm rooms and bathrooms, a kitchen and other shared spaces, plus an apparatus bay with support areas for decontamination after calls. The building uses a hybrid pre-engineered structure.

Pivot North Architecture designed the station, and CORE Construction is building it, the Idaho Business Review reported.

How Caldwell is paying for it

Caldwell voters approved a $17.3 million fire stations bond in November 2023 with 66.74% of the vote. That bond pays for most of a $20 million program that also rebuilds Fire Station 1 downtown on Blaine Street and turns Caldwell's former city hall into a fire administration building. Fire impact fees cover the rest.

Deputy Chief Cory Gerard said the department plans to add 12 new firefighters after Station 4 opens. The department is about 24 firefighters short of its goal of 1.1 firefighters per 1,000 residents, and the city approved six new firefighter positions in 2026.

Living in southeast Caldwell

Southeast Caldwell keeps growing, with other projects nearby such as the second Caldwell Fred Meyer at Karcher Commons. Thinking about a move? Explore the Caldwell city guide, browse new home communities in Caldwell and homes for sale in Caldwell, or catch up on more Caldwell growth news. Thank you for reading Treasure Idaho.