The following is a press release from the East Pierce Fire & Rescue:
The East Pierce Fire & Rescue Fire Board of Fire Commissioners has voted to place a four-year Maintenance and Operation Levy on the August 5 ballot. District voters will be asked to renew the levy passed in 2012 that expires in 2014. The levy would raise $4.7 million in the first year, $4.8 million each in 2016 and 2017, and $4.9 in 2018. For the average household, it is an increase of approximately $31 per year, based on a $250,000 home. The money would allow the fire district to maintain the current level of fire, rescue and emergency medical services, increase staffing and improve firefighter safety and efficiency.
The levy is necessary to help cover the gap in revenues collected by the fire district. The district is funded at a rate of $1.50 per thousand of assessed property value for fire services and 50 cents per thousand of assessed value for emergency medical services (EMS).
As property values fell, so did the revenues collected by the fire district. “Due to the recession, the district has lost more than 20% of its revenue since 2009. Meanwhile the cost of fuel, medical supplies and other hard costs continues to rise,” said East Pierce Fire Commissioner Chair Dale Mitchell. “Even with an improving economy, we have only seen a 3% increase in revenues. That isn’t enough to maintain current service levels.”
In addition, the district has fallen behind in staffing. National standards, provided by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), recommend a minimum of three firefighters per engine for firefighter safety and for effective operations. Currently, four East Pierce engine companies fall below what are considered safe staffing levels.
The fire district is asking for $4.7 – $4.9 million over a four-year period, beginning in 2015. What does that mean for taxpayers? Using an example of a home worth $364,200, the homeowners paid $728.40 in 2008 for fire and EMS services, based on a tax rate of $1.50 per $1,000 in assessed value for fire and an additional 50 cents per $1,000 for EMS services.
In 2014, the same home is valued at $253,600. The homeowners still pay the fire and EMS tax, plus the M & O levy. But because the assessed value of the home has dropped, so have the taxes paid to East Pierce. In 2014, the owners of this home will pay only $601.03, or $127.37 less than they paid in 2008.
Assessed home values are expected to continue to rise, but at a slow rate. The value of the home would have to rise by over 30% to regain the same assessed value it had in 2008.
East Pierce Fire Chief Jerry E. Thorson said that renewing the levy would allow the district to hire 12 firefighters. “What it would provide to the fire district would be invaluable,” he said. “In addition to maintaining the same level of quality service, we would be able to increase staffing to come closer to national standards. We need to start moving in that direction.” Although, he warns that even with the increased staffing, East Pierce would not meet the national standards for safety. “It’s a start,” he said.
Over the years, the fire district has seen a steady increase in the number of 911 calls, particularly for emergency medical services. “We need the staffing to provide an adequate response to the increasing requests for our services,” Thorson said. “An aging population and changes to the healthcare system are expected to drive that number even higher.”
Since 2009, the fire district has reduced costs in a number of ways, including:
• Pay cuts and unpaid furlough days for employees
• Reduced overtime by more than 50%
• Cut firefighter training by 70%
• Vacant positions have not been filled
• Significant cuts made to public education programs, prevention and logistics
• Additional cuts to each division including Operations, EMS, Training, Fire Prevention
• Delayed replacing older fire engines and medic units
• Delayed station maintenance
East Pierce serves approximately 88,200 residents living in a 151-square-mile area including Bonney Lake, Sumner, Lake Tapps, South Prairie, the Ridge Communities, Edgewood and Milton from a total of 11 stations—six staffed, four volunteer and one facility on Lake Tapps for the marine rescue unit. There are 64 career firefighter-EMTs and 40 career firefighter-paramedics, plus 30 volunteer firefighters who respond to fire, rescue and emergency medical calls. In 2013, the fire district responded to 8,519 calls, of those 6,312 were for emergency medical services (a 15% increase since 2009).
More information about the M&O Levy can be found at the East Pierce Fire and Rescue website.
