District 10 seeks levy passage

AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Asking taxpayers for money is an uncertain proposition even in the best of times.

During a health pandemic, it’s even more of a gamble. Spokane County Fire District 10 Fire Chief Ken Johnson acknowledges that, and hopes voters will still understand their needs and support the district’s emergency medical services (EMS) levy renewal request on the Aug. 4 primary ballot.

“In the back of my mind, I’m thinking there’s a lot of people out there who are hurting, struggling,” Johnson said of the economic impacts of the novel coronavirus and the disease it carries, COVID-19.

The Fire District is asking voters to renew its 10-year EMS levy that would continue to impose a 50 cent rate per every $1,000 of assessed property value. According to information from the district, a West Plains home valued at $150,000 would be taxed at $75 per year or $6.25 a month. A $200,000 home would see a bill of $100 a year, $8.33 a month and a $250,000 home $125 a year or $10.42 a month.

The EMS levy makes up about 15 percent of the district’s $2 million annual operating budget, roughly $300,000. On the other side of the coin, EMS services account for 77 percent of the district’s 1,200-plus annual calls for service.

Johnson said the levy supports existing service and maintenances needs. That includes one deputy chief, two firefighters and a medical director who provides oversite for the medical program, essential medical supplies and a portion of dispatch fees.

It also supports expenses such as repairs, fuel costs, insurance and equipment replacement — the latter an important component as the district has older equipment, such as its 15-year-old extraction gear, that needs updating. It also covers licensing and ongoing training.

“We put 10 to 15 personnel through EMT training each year,” Johnson said. “But the maintenance part of the levy is critical as we have replacement needs coming up.”

Johnson said the district tries to be as frugal as it can with its purchases, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Like many agencies, Fire District 10 received help early on with personal protective equipment supplies from the county’s Department of Emergency Management.

“If it wasn’t for them, a lot of the county would have been in worse shape,” Johnson said.

That assistance dropped when the DEM was “ramped down” in June as the pandemic appeared to ease in the region. But since Memorial Day, positive cases of the virus along with hospitalizations have increased significantly, and Johnson said the department may need to “stand back up” to help with temporary hospitalization and case needs.

Fire District 10 relies on property taxes to pay for most of its operations, so wasn’t as hard hit as other jurisdictions that rely on portions of the budgets being paid for by sales taxes, which have sharply declined. But the district has also tried to use some of its other resources to purchase needed equipment, rather than relying on taxpayer dollars, Johnson said.

An example of that is the recently purchase of a LifePak 15 health monitor/defibrillator unit that can safely take and record a patients vital information from a distance. The $25,000 unit was bought using proceeds from renegotiating an agreement with a cellphone service provider who was renting tower space on the district’s station at Brooks Road and U.S. Highway 2.

Johnson said the district has also applied for pandemic funding from the $2 trillion federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. But while the county and cities have received the needed funding, Fire District 10 has yet to hear about its $10,000 – $11,000 request.

“Literally, we have not been reimbursed for anything,” Johnson said with some frustration.

Johnson understands homeowners are likely frustrated with their financial situation was well. But with the West Plains continuing to grow at a fast pace, he hopes they will understand the district’s needs to at least keep pace with that growth through passage of is EMS levy.

“There’s not a playbook for passing a levy in a pandemic,” he said. “People will vote based on their personal capabilities.”

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Formed in 1949, the Spokane County Fire District #10 (District) protects 18 miles highways, including Interstate 90, US Highway 2, several state highways and Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads. The district provides automatic aid to the cities of Airway Heights and Spokane, Fairchild Air Force Base, Spokane International Airport, and Spokane County Fire Districts 3; 5; and 9 along with mutual aid to fire districts in Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, and Whitman counties in northeast Washington and to Bonner, Kootenai and Shoshone counties in northwest Idaho.

The district is a combination department. Its first due response covers 85 square miles, with a population of 8,000, residents. It deploys from five stations responding to more than 2,700 calls during the past three years with 80 firefighters.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].