The Drakes Crossing Rural Fire Protection District is asking voters of the district to approve a measure that would authorize the district to levy $50,000 of local option taxes each year for a period of five years, a total of $250,000.

Drakes Crossing Fire Department is an all-volunteer department, made up of approximately 25 firefighters and emergency medical technicians. These individuals commit significant time and resources to the training and vehicle maintenance necessary to provide excellent emergency service to the residents of the Drakes Crossing area.

This measure would allow the district to purchase needed emergency vehicles. These are the two that are most urgent: An Emergency Medical/Rescue vehicle and a Fire Tanker.

The Emergency Medical/Rescue vehicle will provide the primary emergency medical service to residents of the district. During the past five years, the department’s volunteer emergency medical technicians responded to almost 200 medical emergencies, including fractures, heart attacks, and motor vehicle accidents. The current Emergency Medical/Rescue vehicle is a 1978 Chevrolet, which has become increasingly difficult to maintain and is in need of significant repairs, including an engine replacement. The proposed new vehicle, combined with the volunteers’ ongoing training and the department’s medical equipment, will ensure that personnel are able to rapidly and reliably respond to the emergency medical needs of local residents.

The Fire Tanker provides the water supply needed to fight medium- or large-sized fires. Unlike a city, the Drakes Crossing area has no fire hydrants, so a Tanker is an essential piece of equipment when fighting structure or wildland fires. The current 1958 Tanker is under-powered to handle the hill country of Drakes Crossing, cannot supply water at a sufficient rate, and relies on a portable pump for drafting (refilling) from water sources. These factors, combined, mean that the Tanker does not provide the kind of fast response needed to successfully fight a house, out-building, or serious wildland/forest fire.

It is estimated that these two vehicles will have a service life of at least 20, and as many as 30, years. Combined with the 1995 purchase of a primary Fire Engine, this levy, if approved, will ensure that fire department personnel are able to provide reliable and prompt service to local residents well into the 21st century.

Submitted by:

William D. Brown, Board Chairman

Drakes Crossing Rural Fire Protection District