The Leader continues its Voters Guide for the Nov. 3 primary election. To assist an expected high number of people who wish to cast absentee and write-in ballots as early as possible, we will be posting profiles on candidates in contested races and ballot issues. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot or mail-in ballot is 5 p.m. Oct. 21; the deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7. For information, call the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office at 636-797-5486.
Safety is the key word concerning a ballot issue that will be decided by voters in the Pacific Fire Protection District on Nov. 3.
That’s the reason that the initiative was called Proposition Safety, said Pete Gallagher, a retired captain with the district who is a leader of Citizens for Proposition Safety, which is promoting it.
“The No. 1 thing about this is it’s all about safety,” Gallagher said. “Safety for our firefighters, safety for our residents, safety with our equipment.”
Voters will be asked to authorize a property tax increase of 27 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
The owner of a home assessed at $150,000 by the county Assessor’s Office will pay $76.95 per year more in real-estate taxes. The property tax also affects personal property tax rates.
The district’s current tax rate is 66.96 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
Chief Steve Sagehorn said the last time district voters approved an increase in the tax rate was 2004.
“If Proposition Safety passes, we have a long-term plan so that we won’t have to go to the voters again for at least another 15 years,” he said.
Sagehorn said some of the $700,000 per year that Proposition Safety would generate would be used to supplement the pay of the district’s 18 employees, most notably the 15 full-time firefighters.
“We run three crews, five to a crew, around the clock, 24-7,” Sagehorn said. “Will we use some of the money for raises and insurance? Yes, but we won’t go extravagant by any means. We’re talking about cost-of-living increases. But I want to keep our people here. I want them to start here and retire here. This will help us do that.”
If the proposition is approved by a simple majority, a third firefighter per shift would be added to Station No. 2 in Robertsville. Three firefighters per shift are assigned to Station No. 1 in Pacific.
“Right now, we have just the two there. If something happens like a fire or a bad vehicle accident, the closest help is 12 to 15 minutes away, and in bad weather, as much as 30 minutes.”
He said national firefighter standards call for four staff members to a firetruck.
“I’d like to see four people on a truck, but we can’t do that,” Sagehorn said. “But we’d like to get to three. We shouldn’t have situations where (the crew from Station No. 2) responds to a house fire, and one of them is manning the truck and the other is getting help from the homeowner to bring a hose into his house. We’re relying too much on help from bystanders. That presents safety issues for everyone involved.”
If a third firefighter is added, Sagehorn said, the Robertsville station would be expanded.
He said the Robertsville station was built in 1980 but last updated in 1991.
“In the 1980s, all the firefighters were men,” he said. “That’s not the way it is today. We would need to provide separate sleeping quarters and separate bathrooms. The station also is not (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant.”
Additional firefighters, he said, likely would be recruited from the ranks of the district’s 14 part-time officers.
“We’d like to hire from within, and keep them throughout their careers,” Sagehorn said.
He said the part-timers are used to fill in for vacationing or sick or injured firefighters.
“They help to keep our overtime costs down,” he said.
Gallagher said the district also would like to streamline the number of vehicles in its fleet.
“We’re truck-rich, but they’re aging, and they aren’t sufficient for the many uses that fire protection districts are called upon to perform today,” he said.
Retiring old, single-purpose vehicles would save money by cutting insurance and maintenance costs, he said.
Gallagher also said equipment upgrades are needed.
“We haven’t replaced our fire hoses for 25 to 30 years,” he said. “We have purchased new sections through the years. Also, our breathing tanks – self-contained breathing apparatus – are five years old. They have a life expectancy of seven to 10 years and cost $5,000 each. We have 34 of them. This also is a big safety issue.”
Backup turnout gear – the equipment worn at the scene – also needs replacement, he said, as old turnout gear accumulates microscopic debris from fires and accident scenes that poses health hazards to firefighters.
A similar ballot issue, Proposition Fire, was defeated in June, with 571 voting yes and 676 no.
Gallagher said his group is doing a better job promoting Proposition Safety.
“We as a group sat down and talked about how we can get the message out better,” he said. “That’s why we’re focusing this time on safety. There are very clear needs here. But the important thing is safety, and we need to focus on the big three: The safety of our residents, the safety of our firefighters and that our equipment needs to be safe. There is a very clear plan on how this money would be spent, and it would all be for safety.”
The district covers 78 square miles in northwest Jefferson County and portions of Franklin and St. Louis counties, including the Pacific, Catawissa and Robertsville areas.