Kootenai fire chief dedicated to service, safety
By Gloria Warnick, Staff WriterShare:  
April 12, 2010 — For Ronald Sampert, the art of providing service to his family, church and community is an ongoing theme.
Ronald Sampert, Fire Chief of Kootenai Country Fire and Rescue is a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Contributed Photo.
Concerned about the welfare of his community, Sampert has worked in fire protection for 35 years and currently serves as chief of the Kootenai County Fire and Rescue department. Starting as a firefighter, racing on fire engines to provide emergency help, Ron has worked his way through the ranks of the fire and rescue business. His work, these days, is mostly administrative.
"I get to oversee a budget of over $9 million, 60 full time personnel, 30 volunteers, seven stations and over 40 pieces of apparatus," Sampert said. "We responded to about 4,600 calls last year and covered 114 square miles, give or take a little bit."
Baptized at 9 years of age, Ron entered the waters of baptism as a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with his mother and brother. His father was baptized a couple years later and baptized Ron's sister when she turned 8 years of age.
Ron said it was father's commitment to the Scouting program that led his family to join the LDS church. Ron's father serviced as a Cub Master and a Scout Leader before he joined the church.
As a young man Ron served a mission to the Alberta, Saskatchewan Canada Mission. This mission covered all of Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories and has since been split into several different missions.
Home from his mission for seven months, Ron married his high school sweetheart, Carolyn Gordon, in 1974. They have four children and five grandchildren with one more on the way and have now been married for 36 years. Sister Sampert is an avid gardener and winner at the local Kootenai County Fair for her entries in produce and sewing.
In his role as chief, Sampert has crystallized a driving commitment "to make sure that our guys" (the firefighters of Kootenai County)"have the best equipment, the best apparatus, the best training, and the best safety protection to do the best job for our citizens."
Sampert continues his dedication to upgrade the facilities for the fire district, an effort that benefits the many people who work for Kootenai County Fire and Rescue and the many layers of family and friends attached in this service. From stations to administrative offices to training facilities, Sampert said one of his main priorities is to improve the department's working and learning environments.
"We are looking to expand our office capability and build larger class room so we can hold larger classes," he said.
"We are currently pressing forward in this project and in two weeks we are meeting with architectural firms to choose someone to assist with the design of our training facility," Sampert continued. "It will include a training tower and several other training props."
Always watching out for his crew, Ron said he is looking forward to the day that Kootenai firefighters will have their own training facility. Currently, Kootenai firefighters can access a training site in Coeur d'Alene, but Sampert points out that the distance "would mean they are at least seven more minutes away from responding to an local emergency."
"Having a training facility on our property off Seltice Way would mean that our firefighters have a place to go and train day in and day out instead of having to borrowing some building," he said. "They can actually train right here on this site, and that would be a tangible benefit to the service we would provide."
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