Multnomah Co. Online Voters' Guide
November 2006 General Election

Scappoose Rural Fire Protection District

Measure No. 5-153

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Scappoose Rural Fire District provides fire and ambulance service to 12,000 citizens in Scappoose, Chapman, Holbrook, and Warren. The District is seeking renewal of a 5-year local option levy expiring June 30, 2007. This increases the levy rate from $0.66 per thousand to $0.94 per thousand of assessed valuation upon renewal July 1, 2007.

The primary use of the levy is to retain the current paid personnel covered by the outgoing 5-year levy and add additional paid personnel to cover the continuing increase in fire and medical alarms. Additional funds will be used to purchase and upgrade lifesaving fire and medical equipment.

Due to the increased number of alarms, the District's plan to maintain an adequate level of service using volunteer and paid Firefighters and medical personnel is increasingly being compromised. Growth of the community and the increase in emergency calls along with a decline in volunteers has put emergency response time at risk. The District responded to 1246 emergency incidents in 2005 and 70% were medically related. If a transport is required, it typically takes 2 hours from the time of the call until the ambulance returns to the fire station. Transport time is very demanding on volunteers. The levy will retain the Firefighter/Paramedics hired under the current levy and hire additional paid Firefighter/Paramedics thereby improving 24-hour coverage and emergency response times.

Without the levy, the tax rate is not adequate to properly ensure the current level of fire and ambulance service. Many emergencies, especially overlapping emergencies, will require volunteer response to the station before answering the alarm. The renewed levy provides 3 on-duty personnel 24-hours a day, allowing immediate fire or medical response. We will then rely on the available volunteers to assist with additional emergency calls for help.

What happens if the levy fails?

As the alarms increase, residents will likely see delays in response to their emergency. The tax rate cannot fund paid on-duty Firefighter/Paramedics 24-hours a day and the District would be unable to operate the ambulance. Volunteers are not always available to respond to your emergency call for help and there will not be enough on-duty personnel to adequately respond to emergencies. Overlapping alarms will become even more difficult. The current local option levy expires in June 2007 which funds the second paid Firefighter/Paramedic on 24-hour shifts. If the levy fails, there would only be funding for a daytime Firefighter/Paramedic on duty.

If the levy passes, the additional revenue would be used to:

• Retain the current paid Firefighter/Paramedics
• Hire more paid Firefighter/Paramedics to staff one ambulance or one engine company
• Purchase and upgrade lifesaving fire and medical equipment
• Purchase equipment to support emergency operations

What will it cost me?

Actual Scappoose Fire District homes sold in the past year will pay an additional:

• Assessed Value $135,370 – Selling Price $225,000 – $37.90/year or $3.16 per month
• Assessed Value $143,980 – Selling Price $242,000 – $40.31/year or $3.36 per month
• Assessed Value $262,670 – Selling Price $299,000 – $73.55/year or $6.13 per month

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

Since 1954, the Board of Directors of the Scappoose Fire District has managed the operations of the District. The small Scappoose community began the fire district with an all-volunteer force. Since that time, the community has grown and so have the needs of the citizens.

It is the Board's responsibility to ensure that citizens are provided with rapid, quality care when they have fire and medical emergencies. With the current tax rate, the Board feels that they can no longer offer that security and is asking voters to renew a 5-Year Local Option Levy.

The District currently staffs the fire station with two paid firefighter/paramedics 24-hours per day. This staffing is deemed to be inadequate to rapidly respond to nearly 1300 fire and medical emergencies each year. Renewing the levy would fund one additional firefighter/paramedic per shift increasing the total to three firefighter/paramedics on duty 24-hours per day.

The Board believes that this staffing level is still a conservative approach compared to other fire districts. We still hope to increase our volunteer roster knowing that Scappoose is a tight-knit community that enjoys volunteering. Volunteerism has declined nationwide due to two-income families, longer commutes, year-round sports and changes in society. The District will still rely on volunteers to complete the staffing of fire and medical apparatus.

If the levy fails, the District will have to reduce staffing to one daytime firefighter/paramedic on duty. The one person will have to wait for volunteers to respond to the fire station before responding to your emergency. The nighttime response will be volunteer personnel. A minimum of two is required to respond to medical emergencies and a minimum of four is needed to respond to fires and other emergencies. Volunteers can only respond when available and many hold full-time jobs outside of the community.

Your vote counts when seconds count!

(This information furnished by Dennis Marceaux,
Scappoose Rural Fire Protection District)