SOME INFORMATION ABOUT RURAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS

• There are 29 volunteer fire departments throughout LeFlore County. 

• LeFlore County is ranked 6th. in size out of 77 Oklahoma counties.

• Departments receive NO annual COUNTY funding.

FIREFIGHTER RESPONSES

• Flooding
• Fire
• All Weather response
• Collisions

HOW ARE DEPARTMENTS FUNDED??

• Incorporated towns and cities have some local sales tax funding.
• All rural departments rely on the Oklahoma state Legislature's fiscal funding.  In 2009 this amount was $5100.00.  At this time, the funding for 2010 is in jeopardy.
• Some rural departments bill for memberships averaging $25.00 per household.  Roughly half of this amount is received.
• This makes the yearly operational budget of most volunteer departments $7,600.00.

WHAT KINDS OF COSTS DO FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAVE?

• Apparatus - $35,000.00 - $460,000.00
• SCBA (airpack) - $4,800.00 -$5,200.00
• PPE (bunker gear) - $1,200.00 - $1,500.00
• Extrication equipment - $15,000.00 - $35,000.00
• Ropes, hoses, nozzles - $9,000.00 - $25,000.00
• Foam - $90.00  for 5 gallons
• Communication equipment - $230.00 - $400.00 each.
• Insurance $1,200.00 - $8,000.00

WHAT ARE OTHER FUNDING OPTIONS?

• Increasing membership fees
• Reimbursement per call.
• Pursuing more grant funds - most of which require 5% to 20% matching funds

HOW ARE OTHER COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENTS FUNDED?

• County wide sales taxes.
• Insurance fire tax fees.
• Parcel/property taxes.
• Utility taxes.

CURRENT ISSUES

• LeFlore County population is growing and call diversity and volume is increasing
• It is increasingly challenging to be a volunteer.

             - Increasing State/Federal training requirements.

             - Legal liability issues

             - Internal conflict

             - Health risk

             - Fires burn hotter, faster, containing more damaging chemicals and toxic fumes

• Communications mandates. - narrow banding - which means all radios MUST be reprogrammed to narrow band in the next couple of years.
• Equipment replacement
• Aging Firefighting apparatus replacement
• Personal firefighter protection
• Inadequate staffing volunteers during daytime

             - Further commutes

            - Increased family commitments

            - Decreasing volunteer spirit

SO-------------

• What quality of service do you EXPECT?
• What quality of service does the public DESERVE?
• What quality of service do YOU deserve?

SOLUTION

• Ask taxpayers for 1/4 cent sales tax.
• This is the equivalent of 1 PENNY for every 4 DOLLARS that you spend.

• If you spent $1,000.00 a month, $2.50 would go to fire protection.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!