The
average retail sale per capita in Bryan County was $8,075 (http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/40/40013.html,
(Revised 2007). Using that figure, the average person in Bryan County will pay
just under $21 a year for improved fire protection.
What is the fire tax going to do for me?
Increase
the capabilities of the local fire departments.
Increas the capabilities of the 911 dispatch center.
Provide the money that firefighters need to have access to better training,
firefighting equipment, vehicles, and protective gear for an increase in
firefighter safety.
Increase
the ability of the fire department to seek ways to lower the ISO rating in
their community which will help lower the insurance rates on businesses, homes,
and all buildings with insurance.
Allow
for a peace of mind knowing that the fire departments are being funded in a manner
so they can provide the better coverage to the citizen’s in their area.
Allow
the fire departments to get EMS training and buy EMS supplies needed to provide
first responder services to rural areas with extended EMS response times due to
the distance from an ambulance.
Who gets the money?
90% will be equally distributed to all of the 18 Bryan County Fire Departments:
Achille
Caddo
Durant
Philadelphia
West Bryan County (Mead)
Albany
Calera
Freeny Valley
Roberta
Yuba
Bennington
Cartwright
Kemp
Silo
Bokchito
Colbert
Lakewood
Wade
5%
to the Bryan County Communications Center (911 Dispatch Center).
5%
to the Bryan County Fire Chiefs Association.
How is the money going to get spent?
Training
new and current firefighters.
Purchase
of new and up-to-standard equipment.
New
construction or renovation of fire department buildings.
Fuel
costs / Maintenance / Tires /
New
protective clothing.
Communications
equipment for both the firefighters and the 911 Dispatching Center.
New
fire trucks.
Personnel
expenses not to include salaries.
Why do we need a fire tax?
Though
the funding for fire departments continues to decline each year (state and
local budgets are decreasing and the amount of grant money being issued declines),
the cost of equipment and the cost of operating a fire department continue to
rise.
Without
the tax money, many departments will not have the funds or the resources to
properly protect the people of their district or the firefighters.
Without
the tax, the fire departments will not be able to expand to keep up with the
rising populations, increased number of businesses, and the continued economic
growth of our county.
Have the fire departments in Bryan County had an
increase in calls?
Yes,
on average there has been an increase in call volume ranging from 200-300% for
each fire department.
Does the State or local government give the local fire
departments any money?
The
State of Oklahoma gives an annual operations grant. This year the grant is
estimated to be around $4000 per fire department. It has been as low as $2500
per fire department in the last 5 years.
Some
local cities have annual budgets for their fire department.
Bryan
County does not have a consistent means of income for the fire departments.
How do the Fire Departments get money now?
Fundraisers
(held by each individual department)
City
funding where applicable
Membership
Drives
State
and Federal Grants.
Does the Fire
Department only run on Fire Calls?
No,
many of the Fire Departments run on medical calls, Hazardous Materials Incidents,
vehicle accidents, gas leaks, any type of rescue, and any other event that
requires some type of emergency assistance (downed power lines, road hazards,
etc.)
With
recent floods your local fire departments were sandbagging, rescuing stranded
motorists and did whatever needed to be done to keep many houses from getting
flooded.
Several
departments from Bryan County responded to the tornadoes in Tushka, Denison,
and Lone Grove to assist with Search and Rescue.
Why does the Bryan County Communications Center need
money?
Currently
the Bryan County Fire Departments do not pay any fees for the dispatching of
fire & rescue related emergencies. Currently both Police and EMS pay annual
fees for dispatch services.
The
Fire Tax will fund the purchase and maintenance of the Fire/EMS Dispatch
Console at the Bryan County Communications Center.
The
Fire Tax money will go towards operating the Bryan County Fire/EMS dispatch
console and radio channel. This will require the purchase of radio equipment
both at the Communication Center and at the radio transmission sites.
This
money will be used to increase the capabilities of the dispatch center and
could help lower some communities ISO rating which would help lower some home &
business owner’s insurance rates.
Why does the Bryan County Fire Chiefs Association need
money?
The
Bryan County Fire Chiefs Association (BCFCA) was established to allow the Bryan
County Fire Chiefs to facilitate better communication between county fire
departments and local and state goverment and to help the departments address
the need for better fire protection in Bryan County.
The
BCFCA will use the money to support canteen and rehab services for firefighters
on extended incidents currently funded by private funds and the budget of the Durant/Bryan
County Emergency Management. The BCFCA will assist Emergency Management with
these expenses so that private funds and individual departments do not have to
foot the bill alone.
The
BCFCA will assist in county wide training and will help offset the cost of
training materials and bringing instructors from Oklahoma State University, Texas,
and other States. Materials and expendable items will be purchased from the
BCFCA funds rather than from the fire departments funds to ease the expenses of
the departments.
The
BCFCA will help offset the cost of medical supplies for Fire Departments that
respond to medical emergencies in their district. The BCFCA will also use the
money for any fees that may occur with using a doctor for their Medical
Director.
Currently
there are no fire departments in Bryan County that completely meet NFPA
standards. The BCFCA will use these funds to help every Bryan County Fire
Department be more in compliance with these standards.
How much does a new fire truck cost?
The
cost depends on the size of the truck and what special options the fire
department adds to the vehicle prior to delivery. Here are some average costs.
Pumper truck $350,000
– $550,000
Wildland Firefighting Truck $50,000 –
$80,000
Water Tanker $90,000
– $180,000
Rescue Truck $50,000
– $450,000
How much does it cost to outfit one firefighter?
It
cost, on average, about $7285 to outfit one firefighter to fight a house fire
in accordance with the National Fire and Protection Agency (NFPA) standards. Here
is a list of the average equipment and average cost.
Fire Helmet $225
Firefighter Jacket $1000
Firefighter Pants $800
Fire Boots $200
Nomex Hood $25
Firefighting Gloves $60
2-way Radio $385
Air Pack $5000
Flashlight $50
Total for 1 Firefighter $7745
A minimum of 6 firefighters are needed per the NFPA
to safely fight a structure fire. This makes the cost of protective equipment
for 1 department total more than $46,400 just to fight one structure fire. The
average fire department in Bryan County has about 10 to 15 firefighters. If 1
fire department averaged 10 firefighters and only had 4 air packs they would
need an estimated $42,000 to protect their firefighters. This is the initial
cost. These costs do not include maintenance and replacement cost for damaged
equipment.
If the fire tax doesn’t pass how will it affect me?
Many
of the fire departments in Bryan County run medical calls with the Ambulance
Services. This assistance may be reduced or eliminated due to rising
operational and fuel costs if other funding isn’t secured.
In
areas of growth that grow faster than the Fire Protection, you could see an
increase in your ISO ratings which would cause an increase in business and home
owners insurance.
Many
Departments would not be able add additional firefighters to their roster due
to not having the money to properly protect the new firefighters.
Some
departments may not be able to recover from budget cuts and rising costs, and
therefore will be unable to respond to calls or possibly even close
indefinitely.
As
equipment becomes older and more susceptible to breakdowns, some departments
will have to choose which fire truck or piece of equipment can be fixed or
repaired first due to a lack of funds.
Many
departments will have to raise membership dues or downsize to lower costs.
If passed will I
still have to pay a membership to my local fire department?
Memberships
are voluntary for each fire department depending on the district you live in.
Most
Fire Departments have said they will not have membership drives if passed.
On
average the people that pay their dues will save $5-25 a year compared to
average retail sales per person in Bryan County.
If I don’t pay
for a membership but I pay this tax will the fire departments bill me?
Each fire department reserves the right to bill insurance
companies. The process of billing an individual is different for each
department. Each fire department and community will have to address the
issue of a change in the current billing practices with their City Council
or Board of Directors.
Is there any
accountability of the money once collected?
All
Money collected will go to the Oklahoma Tax Commission then to the Bryan County
Treasures office.
The
Treasures will then set each department up its own account.
All
Departments will have a Purchase ordered issued from the Bryan County Clerks
Office in order to use any of the money.