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MEASURE NO. 24-119 Sublimity Rural Fire Protection District Ballot Title: Explanatory Statement: The Sublimity Rural Fire Protection District is not a part of the city or county but is a “special service district” protecting 40 square miles of Marion County including the City of Sublimity. District personnel respond to fire and medical emergencies from fire stations in the city of Sublimity and in the Drift Creek Rd. area. The Fire District’s Board of Directors is requesting that the taxpayers of the district consider a 5-year local option levy for the specific purpose of hiring and equipping paid personnel and reorganizing the volunteer firefighter program so personnel are available to respond to emergencies 24 hours a day. The District currently waits for volunteers to respond to the station, this can take up to 9 minutes during the night, while during the day there are no regularly available volunteers to respond, leaving only the Fire Chief and a paid Captain to respond. This low level staffing is not an effective or safe service level for the community and its residents. Factors prompting the District’s Board to submit this measure: • The lack of available volunteer firefighters, • Continuing population growth and new construction, • Increases in emergency response, • Strenuous national and state training requirements • The inability to fund any additional staffing or reorganization of the volunteer firefighter program with the current permanent tax rate. • The need to improve response due to growth in the Fire District. Sublimity’s population has increased from 1493 (1990) to 2148 (2003) (PSU data), a total increase of 43%. In that same time period, emergency responses increased from 215 annually to 713 annually (+232%), and, the number of available community volunteer firefighters dropped from 22 to 15 (-46%), with no volunteers regularly available to respond during the daytime in town. The District is presently unable to provide adequate response and quality service to its citizens due to the low staffing. To accommodate the increased growth, the additional emergencies, and the reduction in volunteer firefighters, the District’s Board of Directors have determined that hiring 2 full-time firefighters is appropriate to improve response along with funds to improve conditions for volunteers, and, that it is appropriate that the issue be decided by the voters of the District. Property valued at $100,000 will pay $8.16 per month to improve this vital public safety service. Submitted by, Alan W. McMahen, Fire Chief Sublimity Rural Fire Protection District No arguments in favor of this measure were filed. |