January 26, 2024 |
Photo – Carbon County Fire District logo – Bigfoot99 file photo
Elk Mountain officials question what the Carbon County Fire Protection District will expect from the town’s fire department.
During the November 2022 elections, Carbon County residents voted to form a county-wide fire protection district. The newly established organization will offer fire fighting services to all unincorporated areas of Carbon County. A three-mill levy was instituted to pay for the foundation and operation of the fire protection district.
On Wednesday evening, Elk Mountain officials met with Carbon County Fire Protection District Board Vice President Jim Piche to discuss how the fire district will affect the town’s existing fire department.
Piche started by saying the fire protection district will take ownership of all county-owned firefighting equipment when it officially begins operating later this year.
Piche said the Carbon County Fire Protection District will not fundamentally change the way firefighting is done in the county.
He said when the fire district begins responding to calls, it will use the county’s current standard operating guidelines as a template. The fire protection district vice president said he wants to keep what works, but also make things better.
Piche said he is asking all town-run fire departments to sign a contract with the fire protection district. The agreement will allow volunteer firefighters to legally respond to out-of-town emergencies. Piche said the agreement works both ways: participating municipalities will receive support from the fire protection district.
Piche said membership in the fire protection district means municipalities may be called to help in other parts of the county. Elk Mountain Mayor Morgan Irene said he doesn’t want town-owned equipment to be used to fight fires outside of the town.
Mayor Irene said he was worried that being obligated to respond to emergencies in other parts of the county would leave the town without adequate fire protection. Piche said the Elk Mountain Fire Department can refuse to assist if it puts the town in danger.
Piche said the Elk Mountain Fire Department will be compensated if its firefighters are called to help with an out-of-town emergency. Piche said the town will be paid for every firefighter and piece of equipment used by the fire protection district.
Piche said joining the Carbon County Fire Protection District will allow the town to benefit from the larger organization’s negotiating powers. He said Fire Warden John Rutherford, who is serving as the fire protection district chief, is in talks with Wyoming Department of Transportation to limit the amount of time firefighters spend on Interstate 80.
Piche said the fire protection district will use its $1.5 million yearly budget to replace outdated equipment in all the county’s fire stations and provide firefighters with advanced training classes.
In the end, Elk Mountain officials said they were happy with the progress Piche, and the other fire protection district board members have made. Piche said he expects to have the completed contracts ready for each municipal fire department to sign by the end of February.
