Central Fire Dept. Explains Funding Need

Letter from the Central Fire Department
The Central Fire Department was established in 1972 and currently operates from five fire stations. These stations cover over 60 square miles, responds to 2500 calls for service per year, protecting 35,000 people and 10,800 homes and businesses, with a value over 1.5 billion dollars. Fire stations are staffed by a total of eight firefighters on duty during each 24 hour shift. Three of the stations have two firefighters on duty and two of the stations each have one fire fighter on duty. The current staffing level for the Central Fire Department is drastically below the national standard of four firefighters per engine company. 

For most of its history, Central has depended heavily on volunteer staffing. Unfortunately, as times change, more demands are placed on those who would normally volunteer. Additionally, the national fire service has placed more stringent training requirements, which has led to a shortage of volunteer firefighters. Highlighting this problem, the Central Fire Department has conducted four volunteer academies over a ten year period, with a net gain of two firefighters to the department. Following national trends, the Central Fire Department now depends more on full time staffing than volunteers.

Having exhausted all available options to increase staffing, the Central Fire Department is proposing a 4.25 millage increase for the December 6, 2014, ballot. The funds generated by this millage would allow Central Fire Department to increase its staffing to minimum levels and eliminate single staffed stations. 

While having two firefighters on each engine company is well below the acceptable staffing per national standards, having two firefighters would greatly increase the safety factor for the firefighters as well as the public. Firefighting is a labor intensive, hazardous profession and having trained, well- equipped personnel on scene creates a safer environment for citizens and for fire fighters. The additional staffing goes well beyond fighting fires and has dramatic effects on all requests for assistance from the public. For instance, a routine medical call in Central that a one man engine company responds to, now requires a second Central station to respond just to get sufficient personnel on scene, creating a huge gap for coverage in the fire district.

Central Fire Department’s two one man engine companies routinely are relocated to cover empty stations that are on other emergency calls, thereby distributing the hazards of a one man engine company to all citizens in the fire district. Recently, a one man engine company from Central responded to a cardiac arrest and another one man engine company responded to a working house fire. These single firefighters were alone on the call for some time, waiting on additional personnel to arrive and assist. While these firefighters immediately performed their duties, attempting to save life and property, there is only so much one firefighter can accomplish. That places the public and firefighters in unacceptable situations.

While paying taxes is not something anyone wants to do, the Central Fire Department directly saves each home or business owner significant amounts of money each year in fire insurance premiums. Citizens of the Central Fire Department pay less than 2.5 million dollars in taxes and service fees to the fire district each year. In contrast, Central Fire Department home and business owners save over 14 million dollars on their fire insurance premiums each year. The additional personnel this millage will allow us to employ will assist us to keep our Class 3 fire rating, thereby keeping fire insurance premiums low. The cost to the average home owner, with a home assessed at $200,000, will be $4.42 a month.

Citizens of the Central Fire Department depend on the fire department in emergency situations. The fire department depends on citizens to provide the equipment and staffing to respond as professionals. We have exhausted all options to increase staffing, and we would like to thank you in advance for considering this proposal.