Voters in the Mapaville Fire Protection District will be asked to approve a 50-cent property tax increase that would allow the district to hire its first full-time firefighters.
The April 5 tax issue is called “Proposition Firefighter” and requires a simple majority to pass.
Chief Darryl Reed said the goal is to hire firefighters to staff its firehouse 24/7. Currently, the district is served by 20 volunteer firefighters, and is the only tax-supported fire protection district in the county serving residents without paid firefighters.
The district serves 22 square miles in central JeffersonCounty, including parts of Pevely, Hillsboro and Festus mailing addresses.
Reed said the need is clear.
“Paid firefighters mean better response time,” he said. “Firefighters would be at the house and ready to respond when a call comes in. Response time is critical in an emergency situation.”
When a call for help comes in now, volunteers are notified by pager, then respond to the firehouse to don protective clothing, gather equipment and head to the scene.
Reed said paid staff would provide additional benefits for the community.
For example, paid firefighters would be available to better maintain the firehouse and district equipment, he said. Plus, paid firefighters mean a better ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating and that saves residents money on insurance.
The increase is expected to bring in about $250,000 a year, almost doubling the district’s annual budget of $260,000. The current tax rate is 51.36 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
In April 2015, the district fell 11 votes short of approving a 35-cent tax increase for the same purpose.
Reed said the board decided to ask for a 50-cent increase this time because prices continue to rise.
If voters approve the tax issue, Reed said firefighters will be hired right away. “Eventually, we will have around-the-clock staffing, but I’m not sure how quickly we can get to that point,” he said. Reed said it’s important to pay firefighters a competitive wage.
Reed said the increase would cost the owner of a home the Jefferson County Assessor’s Office values at $100,000 an extra $95 a year – which comes to $7.92 a month or $1.83 a week.
As of June 2015, the district’s insurance rating was Class 6 for approximately 90 percent of the district with fire hydrants and a Class 6X for the areas without hydrants.
In 2008, voters in the Mapaville district approved a 15-cent levy increase to go toward a new firehouse. The increase was phased in through 2010.
Reed said district volunteers have been successful in finding grants to help fund district operations, but now it is asking for additional tax support from residents.
In April 2011, the district received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help build the new fire station, which opened in 2011.
In 2014, the district received a Jefferson Memorial Community Foundation grant to buy new automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for each truck and the fire station as well as CPR dummies for training. The district received another community foundation grant in 2015 to buy eight sets of new turnout gear and additional medical equipment like backboards and stokes baskets.
The chief said volunteers will continue to be a part of the Mapaville district’s staffing plan and the district is currently recruiting volunteers, who must be at least 18 years old. Contact the chief at 314-420-3017 for information. The district also has a junior firefighter program for those ages 14-17. Contact firefighter Jordan Acre at jacre113@gmail.com for information.