More expensive, more stringent

County fire chief proposes fire district to Carbon County Council of Governments

Carbon County Fire Chief John Rutherford gave a presentation to the Carbon County Council of Governments (CCCOG) on July 21 at the Valley Community Center in Baggs on the need for a fire district in Carbon County.

There were representatives from all municipalities with the exception of Encampment and Riverside.

“Thank you for letting me address you about this topic for Carbon County,” Rutherford said. “This organization allows the municipalities to work together, yet have differences of opinion.”

Rutherford said, in the past, it was the municipalities who responded to emergencies.

“Carbon County wasn’t really a big player in emergency services,” Rutherford said. “Over a more recent period of time, this has transformed and the county is more active and has stepped up its services.”

Rutherford said the services provided are getting more expensive and it is difficult for the county to keep it within its budget.

“It is time to take the next step and look at creating a fire district for the county,” Rutherford said. “If we started right now and the voters approved a fire district, it would be a couple of years before that fire district would make one single decision or make one single call.”

He said everything which goes into forming and making a district would take some time.

“The question for us is how long can we keep going the way we are going now?” Rutherford said. “That would be a good question for the municipalities, and it a good question for the county commissioners.”

Rutherford said rescues have become more expensive as has the equipment.

“Anything to do with fire service has gotten more expensive,” Rutherford said. “Carbon County just bought just one section of five inch hose that is 100 feet long and it cost $800. A pumper costs $4,000. This is what we are up against. The operating budget for Carbon County Fire Department is currently around $300,000.”

Rutherford asked Rawlins Fire Chief Blain Schumacher how much the city’s fire department operating budget was. Schumacher said it was between $1.46 million and $1.69 million.

Rutherford said he sat down with other town fire chiefs and County Commissioner Sue Jones to discuss the possibility of creating a fire district. He said it is a hard topic because a district would mean creating a new tax.

“If it is a county unincorporated tax, industry carries most of the tax, it is not the residents,” Rutherford said. “The Carbon County Fire Department provides structural fire protection, wild land fire protection, highway rescue/extrication, water rescue, emergency medical service first responder, hazardous materials response, and public education covering 7,964 square miles.”

Pointing out why Carbon County needed a fire district, Rutherford said fire chiefs and fireman had come up the reasons it was important.

“The single greatest advantage of a fire district is all monies generated are specifically for one major purpose: fire and rescue,” said Rutherford. “There is no competition with law enforcement, senior centers, libraries, roads and other infrastructure.”

He said the fire district could provide adequate funding to purchase personal protective equipment. Rutherford added firefighters in many municipalities are entirely volunteer and their safety should be paramount.

Rutherford said a fire district for Carbon County would likely result in quicker response times through personnel scheduling and better communication equipment. The district would potentially improve the Insurance Services Organization Rating to lower insurance premiums for county residents living within five miles of a fire station. It would reduce liabilities through better compliance with required regulations. The fire district would also free up funds for the county fire department budget to be used for other county budgeted items.

According to Rutherford, a levy of three mills with just unincorporated Carbon County participating would generate $1,314,912.77 in revenue. If the entire county participated, the total funds generated would be $1,915,228.38.

A levy of three mills on a home valued at $225,000 would cost the homeowner $64.13 annually and $5.34 monthly, said Rutherford.

Rutherford said a fire district could go to the polls with only the unincorporated area through resolution but, if a municipality wanted to join the district, it would need to appear on the ballot.

“It makes it complex,” Rutherford said.

A fire district was introduced to the voters in 2014 but was voted down. Little Snake River communities overwhelmingly voted against the district. Rutherford said a large problem in 2014 was not putting out the message in a way it could be better understood.

Rutherford said, after the defeat, he had said he would never work on trying to get a fire district for Carbon County again. He feels the fire services for the county require this second effort by him but it is entirely a local decision on whether a municipality will join.

“We understand not every municipality feels this would be good for them,” Rutherford said. “But it is definitely worth some municipalities to consider being a part of the district.”

To get the district going, a petition to form the district must be signed by not less than 25 percent of the assessed valuation of property within the proposed area. Three people appoint themselves as chief petitioners and all signatures must be obtained within six months of the first signature. It can only be done at general election.

Rutherford said the board which would run the fire district would be elected the same the special district went to the ballot. He said the board can be three to five members. The board can also specify the geographic area representation.

Rutherford said there are currently about 140 firefighters in Carbon County. To outfit a firefighter cost approximately $12,000.

“That is without one second of training,” Rutherford said. “Plus there is maintenance. Like I said, it is expensive to run a fire service.”

Rawlins mayor Terry Weikum said with the budget coming in at about $1.9 million if all the county opted in, he couldn’t see how it would be smart for Rawlins to join when their budget is around $1.7 million.

“I don’t see how it would work for Rawlins, because the amount that would probably be allotted for Rawlins would go way down,” Weikum said. “I can see for the smaller towns where it could be a good deal. But I don’t see how it work for Rawlins.”

Rutherford said he understood Rawlins’ position and recognized the district might not be in the best interest of the city.

Rutherford said, presently, there is no guarantee for county revenue for the fire department. He said volunteerism was declining and training and certification are more stringent to emergency services.

“I know this much, we are going down a road that is not getting better,” Rutherford said. “We are at a point where this fire district in some form should be considered.”

 

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