The Sublimity Fire District provides service to the City of Sublimity and 39 square miles of Marion County. The Districts estimated population is 3800. Emergency services are provided from two fire Stations, with 40 volunteer firefighters & auxiliary members, and 2 fulltime employees. Services provided include emergency medical response, structure and vehicle fires, wildfires, chemical spills, and motor vehicle accidents.

Sublimity Fire District faces a number of challenges, including:

A 14.3% reduction in revenue

Rapid community growth (20% since 1995)

An 81% increase in emergency calls since 1995

Space requirements for training of Volunteer Firefighters

Facilities inadequate to meet OSHA and State Health Dept. requirements.

Limited water availability for fire fighting in rural areas.

On November 3, 1998 the Sublimity Fire District will participate in the general election to determine if Fire District voters will support funding of needed improvements.

Proceeds of the Bond will be used to fund the following improvements:

Replace one pumper

This will replace the Districts oldest pumper (26 years) which is frequently in the shop for repairs and is expensive to operate. The pumper is unreliable and obsolete.

Replace one rescue

The current rescue unit responds to more emergencies than any other unit. It was past its life expectancy in 1990 when volunteer firefighters used donations to purchase it from an ambulance company.

Purchase one water tender

Portions of rural Sublimity Fire District have an inadequate firefighting water supply. Firefighters have run out of water in the past shortly after arriving at rural firefighting scenes. The addition of a water tender will significantly enhance response capabilities.

Improvements to the rural station (Drift Creek)

Currently this station has no sanitary facilities. Improve ments include water and septic to allow responders to clean up after medical alarms and fires. Also, storage and a small office for report writing.

Improvements to Sublimity Fire Station

Expansion of the districts training room to permit larger groups to be trained, sleeping quarters for resident firefighters, a paved area to allow for fire engine training without blocking city streets, and additional storage for reports and records the district is required by law to maintain.

These needs are important to maintaining the Fire Districts fire protection rating, which affects home and business fire insurance premiums.

It is estimated that property owners will invest 50 cents per $1000 of assessed valuation.

The owner of a $100,000 home will be asked to invest Approx. $4.17 per month. ($50.00 per year ) in the Fire District to improve fire protection by making these capital improvements which enable the district to continue its commitment to the community.

Submitted by:

Alan W. McMahen, Fire Chief

Sublimity Rural Fire Protection District

No arguments in favor of or opposed to this measure were filed.