The Buhl Fire Department is set to receive a dedicated wellness center from a Magic Valley non-profit, giving local firefighters and their families access to recovery equipment that would otherwise cost them out of pocket. The announcement was made Thursday, June 18, by Two In Two Out, an organization founded by former firefighter Chris Johnson with the specific goal of bringing wellness resources into firehouses across the region.
What the Wellness Center Includes
The wellness package heading to Buhl includes a massage chair, red light therapy equipment, a sauna, and a cold plunge area. For context, a single massage session typically runs firefighters between $80 and $100 out of pocket — costs that add up quickly for working families. By bringing these tools directly into the station, the department removes that financial barrier entirely.
Buhl Fire Chief Andrew Stevens welcomed the donation, saying the arrangement makes practical sense for his department. “This allows us to have those things in house,” Stevens said. The resources will be available not just to firefighters on duty, but to their families as well — an element of the program that Johnson says reflects the broader toll the job takes on households, not just individuals.
Funding for the Buhl center came through donations from Petersen Brothers Construction and Elite Restoration, two regional businesses that helped underwrite the cost of equipment and installation at no charge to the fire district.
The Organization Behind the Effort
Chris Johnson started Two In Two Out after a straightforward conversation with a fellow firefighter about the idea of getting a sauna into a fire station. That informal discussion grew into a formal non-profit mission focused on addressing the physical and mental stress firefighters carry — stress that, left unaddressed, can result in long-term injuries and chronic health problems.
Johnson described his pitch to leadership as straightforward: “I sold it to our fire chief that we’d be able to bring in a sauna, cold plunge, massage chair and red light therapy for no cost to the district.”
The Rock Creek fire district was the first to benefit from Two In Two Out’s model, receiving wellness resources through donor support before the organization turned its attention to Buhl. The group’s approach relies entirely on private donations, keeping the cost burden off taxpayers and local fire district budgets.
Johnson’s vision extends well beyond a single department. Within its first year of operation, Two In Two Out intends to expand the wellness center model to fire departments in Jerome City, Burley, Twin Falls, and Filer — a plan that would put recovery resources within reach of a significant share of Magic Valley’s firefighting workforce.
New Buhl Fire Station on the Horizon
The wellness center equipment will not be installed immediately. Chief Stevens confirmed the resources are slated to go into Buhl’s new fire station once construction is complete. That facility is planned for a ten-acre site located behind North Canyon Medical Center, with construction expected within the next year.
The new station represents a significant upgrade for the department, and pairing it with built-in wellness infrastructure from the start reflects a growing recognition that firefighter health — physical recovery, stress management, and long-term durability — is as important as the equipment they carry on calls.
The Two In Two Out model relies on private donors and community partnerships rather than government funding, a structure that allows it to move quickly and deploy resources without the delays that typically accompany public grant cycles. For smaller departments like Buhl, that distinction matters. Fire districts in rural southern Idaho operate on lean budgets, and dedicated wellness infrastructure has historically been a luxury beyond reach.
What Comes Next
With the Buhl announcement now official, Two In Two Out is expected to move forward with outreach to Jerome City, Burley, Twin Falls, and Filer fire departments. The organization’s expansion timeline puts all five departments in line for wellness resources within roughly the next year, pending donor support for each location. Residents and businesses interested in supporting the effort can look into the non-profit’s donor opportunities as those department-level campaigns take shape. Construction on the new Buhl fire station — and the permanent home for the wellness center — is expected to move forward within the same general timeframe.