Post Falls leaders spotlight police staffing, dispatch shortages, fire levy win
Post Falls leaders pointed to a police force back to 90% patrol staffing, a dispatch side still at 60%, and a fire levy that passed with 62% support.
Public safety took center stage at a Post Falls Chamber Connect4Lunch as city leaders and first responders laid out a system still under strain even as two major developments broke their way: Mark Brantl became police chief and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue’s levy passed.
Chamber Board Chair Tavis Throm framed the gathering as a chance to recognize the people who run toward danger when everyone else is running away. The timing made the conversation feel especially immediate, with the city’s police leadership settled at last and voters backing new fire funding just hours later.
Brantl told the crowd the Post Falls Police Department had climbed to about 90% staffing on the patrol side after running much lower a year earlier. But he said retention remained a challenge and stressed that pay alone would not keep officers in place. Culture, support and resources mattered just as much, he said, if the department wanted to hold on to trained people and keep pace with a growing city.
He also flagged emergency communications as a weak point in the public safety chain. That side of the system was only about 60% staffed, he said, a shortage that affects every police and fire response because dispatch is the backbone of the whole operation. The numbers underscored a broader reality in Post Falls: the city can add officers and still struggle if the people answering the calls are stretched thin.
Brantl brings more than 25 years with the Post Falls Police Department and nearly three decades in law enforcement overall. He started in 1995 as an animal control officer in Great Falls, Montana, later earned a law-enforcement degree at North Idaho College and spent years working his way through the department. The city had been without a named police chief for about eight months after Greg McLean retired. Jason Mealer, who had served as interim chief, was no longer employed by the city by April 23, 2026. Mayor Randy Westlund officially put Brantl forward at the Post Falls City Council meeting on May 20, 2026, and the council appointed him chief.
The same week, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue asked voters for a two-year levy override of up to $5.2 million per year beginning in fiscal year 2027. The measure passed on May 20 with 6,471 yes votes, or 62%, to 3,916 no votes, or 38%, after a larger $6 million permanent override failed in November 2025. KCFR said the money would support staffing, equipment and operational needs across the district. Fire Chief Pete Holley said he appreciated the community rallying around public safety, and the result gave Kootenai County another immediate boost as leaders continued trying to stabilize the region’s emergency response system.
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