Fire District Seeks Maintenance and Operations Levy

A Maintenance and Operations Levy for East Pierce Fire and Rescue that will appear on the August 7 ballot is critical to maintain the fire district’s current level of service, said Fire Chief Jerry Thorson.

The two-year levy would provide $3 million toward the department in 2013 and $3.2 million in 2014.

"What we’re trying to prevent is further cuts and continue to have the same number of firefighters rolling out the door," said Fire Chief Jerry Thorson.

The fire district is currently funded at a rate of $1.50 per thousand of assessed value for fire services and 50 cents per thousand of assessed value for EMS services. As property values have fallen, so have the revenues collected by the fire district.

"The majority of our revenue comes from property taxes. But due to the current economic downturn, our district has lost over 20 percent of our revenue since 2009, which amounts to over $2.2 million," said East Pierce Fire Commissioner Chair Rick Kuss. "Meanwhile the cost of fuel, medical supplies and other hard costs have risen."

The district has already made significant cuts to operating expenses, including reducing overtime by 48 percent over the past four years. Public education programs, prevention and logistics have been cut significantly. Firefighter training has been slashed by nearly 30 percent. Vacant positions have not been filled and employees have taken pay cuts and furlough days.

"Despite these cuts, the district has had to dip into emergency reserves for the past two years," said Thorson. "We anticipate another seven percent reduction in revenues for 2013 and five percent in 2014. There is nothing left to cut without affecting service levels."

Thorson said that some of the equipment firefighters depend on needs to be updated, too.

“We’re starting to get behind on replacements on the chassis of our medic vehicle and the ladder truck is aging,” said Thorson. “We need to depend on them 100 percent of the time but it drives up maintenance costs.”

East Pierce Fire and Rescue provides fire and emergency medical response to approximately 83,000 residents living in Bonney Lake, Sumner, Edgewood, Milton, South Prairie, Wilkeson, the Ridge Communities and the area around Lake Tapps—a 152-square-mile area.

In 2011, East Pierce firefighters responded to 8,362 total emergency calls. Of those, 6,163 were emergency medical services-related incidents, an increase of 9 percent over 2010.

Thorson said that the Maintenance and Operation Levy would cost the owner of a $250,000 home approximately $95.00 in 2013, or $7.92 per month.

"What it would provide to the fire department would be invaluable. In addition to maintaining the same level of quality service and staffing, we would be able to restore much needed training and maintain equipment, vehicles and stations," Thorson said. “We certainly need every bit of it."