Volunteer Fire Departments on call as funding increase approved

Volunteer Fire Departments on call as funding increase approved

by Deborah Nelson
November 26, 2007

With the ink barely dry on a special fire tax increase, area volunteer fire departments have fully resumed responding to all but lowest-priority calls, say officials. In the meantime, plans to pool Department spending and purchasing under county oversight are still being implemented.

Santa Rosa’s ‘two-tier’ emergency call system taps fire departments as first responders to medical emergencies, as well as fires. County ‘no subsidy’ ambulance service makes up the ‘second tier.’

Between 2003 and 2005, over 70 percent of Department calls were medical, while less than 30 percent were fire-related, according to a December 2006 report on county emergency services.

“Consistent with fire services across the country, the predominant percentage of responses are to medical-related calls,” the report, prepared by Fitch and Associates, notes.

But by 2006, some Departments were not responding to lowest-level Alpha and Bravo calls, according to Fitch’s report.

“Approximately five percent of calls to Fire Departments receive no response,” it notes. “This is due to policies specific to each district regarding lower priority, lesser acuity calls and in some cases to the inability to muster volunteers to a call.”

Departments have resumed answering all except lowest-priority “Alpha” calls, says Emergency Services Coordinator Brad Baker.

“They are our designated first responders,” he notes.

Commissioners approved the $1.7 million MSBU tax increase earlier this month.

Nine stations will see an increase: Allentown, Bagdad, Berrydale, East Milton, Harold, Munson, Pace, Skyline, and Jay. Holley-Navarre, Midway, Avalon and Navarre Beach are special taxing districts and will not be affected. Gulf Breeze and Milton fire services are provided by city governments.

VFDs and the county’s Emergency Services Advisory Committee (ESAC) had warned for several years that Department funding levels were not keeping pace with area emergency call growth. The tax increase was necessary, officials said, to maintain the current ‘no subsidy’ ambulance service contract.

In conjunction with the MSBU tax increase, County Emergency Services officials announced plans to centralize VFD spending and oversight through a central Executive Group.

A new Standard Operating Guide (SOG) was developed to improve departments’ public oversight and accountability.

In the past, MSBU funds, based on each District’s property tax revenues and population, were allocated to Departments individually.

Departments submitted annual budgets to the BOCC and spending was subject to Clerk of Courts check register and invoice audit.

The updated SOG creates a central Emergency Services “Executive Group” to oversee Department budgeting and spending. It’s composed of fire chiefs from each Department, plus two citizens, appointed by the BOCC. David Cook and Ricky Smith are the Board’s current citizen appointees, Baker said.

The SOG, still being implemented, would consolidate MSBU tax funds into a general account, according to the latest draft, dated October 2007.

Budgeting and purchasing would be subject to Executive Group approval. The County procurement department would handle purchasing, and equipment would then be subleased to Departments.

County officials are still working out the details on that process.

The Executive Group has approved a joint budget, and the Emergency Management Department is overseeing some procurement, says Baker. Departments are currently receiving direct funding for debt service and operating expenses, he said.

“Some funding is currently being pooled for bulk purchases. As it evolves, more and more will come to the joint fund,” Baker notes. “There’s a lot of things we’re doing together through Emergency Management.”

Plans also call for new equipment purchase, paid personnel, and a paid stipend for volunteers.

Next year’s budget numbers are due in May. The first round of budget hearings is slated for the March timeframe.

Hearings are open to the public, including monthly Department meetings.

The Executive Group is scheduled to meet December 5 at the County Emergency Operations Center, at 6:30.

New MSBU fire rates for Allentown, Bagdad, Berrydale, East Milton, Harold, Munson, Pace, Skyline, and Jay are:

Residential & Mobile Homes not in a Park- Square footage determined as living space, not under roof:
0-3500 sq. ft. $85.00
3501-above sq. ft. $175.00

Commercial and Multi-family 5+ units- 2.5 cents per sq. ft., $150 minimum

Multi-family less than 5 units and Condos- 75.00 per unit
Agricultural and Vacant lots- 10.00 per one acre parcel and 2 cents per acre over the first acre

Sylviculture (Timber)- 10.00 first 200 acre parcel and .15 cents per acre over 200 acres

Recreational vehicle parks and mobile home parks- $30.00 per lot

Hotel and Motel- $75 per unit