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Winlock residents can expect to see a request on the November ballot from Lewis County Fire District 15 for a maintenance and operations levy expected to collect $215,000 per year from 2018 through 2021.
The levy is primarily intended to allow the district to hire an additional full-time firefighter to augment its weekday shifts, according to the district.
“Current funding mechanisms are inadequate in that there has been a critical need to improve on-duty staffing to meet the demand for service in the presence of declining volunteer participation,” a release from the district posted on its Facebook page states.
Assistant Chief Kevin Anderson told The Chronicle the district has been considering asking voters to increase its EMS levy for some time, but decided to ask for an M&O Levy to directly channel funding to staffing and operations.
Open houses with question and answer sessions are scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 28 and 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at the district’s primary station at 609 Northwest Kerron St. in Winlock where district residents can meet firefighters and volunteers.
“It’s a great opportunity to see just who it is that’s available to help them,” Anderson said.
If approved, the levy would collect 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, meaning that, for a property with an assessed value of $100,000, the levy would cost $50 per year.
The levy request needs a 60 percent supermajority to pass, and 40 percent of Winlock voters who cast ballots in the last general election must vote for the election to be validated.
The district already has a general levy collecting about $1 per $1,000 of assessed value and an EMS levy collecting $.25 per $1,000.
Anderson said the district had previously considered adding to its EMS levy, but can’t collect more from its general levy because of the $5.90 per $1,000 cap on property tax funds in the area. EMS and M&O levy funds are collected outside that cap amount, Anderson said.
“We have never had an M&O levy and I believe we would be the first fire district in Lewis County to pass one,” he said, noting that the Riverside Fire Authority has passed such a levy but is technically a fire authority rather than a fire district.
Lewis County Fire District 15 provides primary fire and emergency medical services to the city of Winlock and its surrounding area for a 42-square mile district.
The district has three paid firefighter/emergency medical technicians and staffs three paramedics through a contract with American Medical Response. Remaining services are provided by 15 to 20 volunteers. Currently, the district has a minimum staffing model of one firefighter/EMT and one paramedic with available volunteers 24 hours a day.
“Additional funding is being requested to continue and improve the current 24/7 on-duty staffing model via the hiring of one additional FF/EMT to provide a minimum two (firefighter) response to weekday fire and vehicle collision incidents, support and maintain current vehicles and facilities and keep better pace with the increasing costs of providing service,” according to a news release posted to the district’s Facebook page.
Between 2013 and 2016, the district responded to an average of 700 calls a year. This year, the district is on pace to respond to 800 calls, according to a release on the levy.
Before 2016, the district did not have dedicated 24/7 staffing.
“Prior to on-duty staffing, calls for emergency assistance were being unanswered when there were no available responders within FD15 and neighboring fire districts were being relied upon to provide basic service,” according to the district’s release.
Since the 24/7 staffing model was created in June 2016, the district’s response time has decreased from around nine to 11 minutes to six to seven minutes, according to the district.
