Benton County Fire District 4 is asking
voters to consider a Fire Levy lid lift during the August 4 Primary Election.
Funding would be used to hire three additional firefighters to respond to
higher call volumes, which have increased almost eight percent a year since
2010.
“We need more full-time emergency personnel to respond to higher
call volumes,” said Deputy Chief Paul Carlyle. “That’s the nuts and bolts of
this request.”
The firefighters also would be cross-trained to respond to provide
emergency medical service. EMS calls account for more than 60 percent of the
Fire District’s call volume.
Fire District 4 is a combination department, which means it relies
on full-time, part-time and volunteer firefighters to respond to emergency
calls. Population growth for the West Richland area has increased to the point
where additional full-time emergency personnel are needed.
Fire District 4 has been planning for this growth for some time.
For example, it’s in the process of building a new station that will open in
December at the western edge of its service area. The station will improve
emergency response times for the area, as well as provide an additional fire
engine and medic unit to respond to calls throughout the Fire District.
Having an adequate number of full-time firefighters is also the
key to a successful volunteer program. Many
volunteers have full-time jobs and need the Fire District to be flexible about
when they volunteer. For example, some volunteers have new work schedules, or
have taken on additional part-time jobs as a result of the pandemic. Other
volunteers are staying home to care for children who normally would be in
school. Deputy Chief Carlyle says accommodating the needs of volunteers is
critical to keep them involved with the Fire District.
“Volunteers built Fire District 4 from the ground up,” said Deputy
Chief Carlyle. “We need to be respectful of their time, including jobs and
family commitments, so we don’t lose them altogether. Three additional
full-time firefighters will provide some flexibility.”
The Fire Levy lid lift is 15-cents per $1,000 of assessed
property value, and would cost
the owner of a $300,000 home an additional $3.75 per month, or $45 per year. If
approved by voters, the Fire Levy would return to $1.50/$1,000 from the current
rate of $1.35. Voters last approved a Fire Levy rate of $1.50/$1,000 in 2015.
Levy rates fall as property values rise to limit a fire district to roughly the
same amount of revenue per year.
More
information about the Fire Levy lid lift can be found on the Fire District’s
website at www.bcfd4.org. Deputy Chief Paul Carlyle also
is available to answer questions. He can be reached at pcarlyle@bcfd4.org or 509-967-2945.
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Benton County Fire District
4 provides fire and emergency medical service (EMS) to just over 19,000 people over 52 square miles, including the City of
West Richland and its immediate unincorporated areas. The Fire District is not
part of – nor does it receive funding from – any city or county government.
Approximately 50 volunteer and career firefighters,
emergency medical technicians, and paramedics respond to an average of 1,600
calls per year. Benton County Fire District 4 operates
under a balanced budget and has a
long history of passing all independent state audits.
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