There is a growing population in the service area resulting in increasing demand for emergency services. There has been a level number of volunteers and the required training for volunteers has been increasing. The cost to provide service has been rising and there has been an unpredictable and fluctuating revenue stream from membership dues & fund raising events.
Growing population: There have been approximately 30 new residential building permits issued per year since 2000. In the past 6 years 180 new families have moved to the area.
| Year | Pageouts | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 110 | - |
| 1997 | 120 | +9% |
| 1998 | 126 | +5% |
| 1999 | 137 | +9% |
| 2000 | 146 | +7% |
| 2001 | 177 | +22% |
| 2002 | 203 | +15% |
| 2003 | 202 | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 231 | +14% |
| 2005 | 247 | +7% |
| 2006 | 348 | +41% |
In 10 years, call volume has increased 216%.
Number of Volunteers: For the past 5 years the number of participating volunteers has fluctuated between 30 and 40, 35 being average.
Until 3 years ago, few volunteers held recognized certifications. Currently we have:
17 Emergency Medical Technicians - Basic
1 Paramedic (not myself !)
11 State Level 1 & 2 Firefighters
20 Red Card certified Wildland Firefighters
Required Training
EMT-Basic: 150 hrs initial, 48 CE & 32 refresher each 2 years.
Paramedic: 1200 hrs initial, 60-70 CE each 2 yrs.
State 1 & 2: 18 weeks initial, 240 CE / yr
Wildland: 32 hrs initial, 8 CE + Pack & Shelter tests
Rising Costs: Some Examples
Personal Wildland gear: $ 775
Personal Structure gear: $ 5,095
Radio: $ 680
Personal EMS gear: $ 250
Since 2001, SEESI has collected voluntary membership dues from between 36% and 72% of area residents. Most absentee owners (approx. 40%) do not pay membership dues. Private donations and fundraising events, while historically good, are unpredictable.
The status quo is not working - what are our options? We need to hire personnel to augment volunteers leading to increased expenses. We obtained a FEMA grant to help with expenses. With a tax supported fire district we would have the infrastructure to provide emergency services with the cost shared by all taxpayers.
Since we added paid staff to augment our volunteers, we have seen a significant decrease in our response & on-scene times. As we move into the future, a predictable revenue source will allow the Fire Dept. to increase service capabilities to match the growth in our community. Steady revenue will also mean that we will be able to assume ambulance transportation in the future. As we grow, we will be able to improve our ISO insurance rating which will increase the availability and decrease the cost of our homeowners and business insurance premiums. We will also be able to improve services in the outlying areas. Increased training and certification of volunteers and paid staff result in more professional service to the community. Adopting a nationally recognized fire code will also add a degree of local control of future development in our area.
The Fire District was established with an anticipated tax levy of $1.50 per $100.00 of assessed value for at least the first 5 years. The current Board of Directors is committed to not exceeding that rate. State law limits fire district tax levy at a maximum of $3.25 per $100.00. By comparison, our school district levy is about $6.00 per $100.00. Our levy rate was projected to average about the same as membership dues although higher value properties do pay more than lower value properties. The increase in revenue is based on the fact that all property owners will participate and that our revenue will increase as more properties are developed in our area.
Nevertheless, concerns remain. Where can we go from here?
A petition to have the question of dissolving our fire district placed on an upcoming ballot is being considered. This is a statutory process any citizen may initiate. If at least 10% of registered voters in Fire District area sign such a petition, an election must be called. The Fire District (the tax payers) are required to pay the cost; estimated to be $10K to $20K. Property owners not registered to vote locally are excluded from this process (approx. 40% absentee owners in area.) whereas property owners were involved in the petition process that set up the Fire District.
If the majority of electors voted to dissolve the Fire District, what would happen? We would default on the FEMA grant, SEESI would be forced into bankruptcy. Without funding, property, vehicle, and liability insurance premiums couldn't be paid. SEESI could not continue responding on calls. At least two insurance agents who serve this area have provided letters stating that if the fire department were to stop delivering services, their companies would cancel homeowners policies in the area.
If anyone in the community has an interest in the future of our Fire Dept. I encourage you to get involved.
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