Design of Existing Fire Departments In Josephine County

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Hugo Neighborhood Association & Historical Society

Home Up Exploratory Committee Research Projects Unique Neighborhoods and Communities Quality of Fire Protection Lost Property, Life, Or Personal Injury By Fire Potential Josephine County-Wide RFPD Design of Existing Fire Departments In Josephine County Revenues for Fire Protection Taxing District for Fire Protection Boundaries for Fire Protection Issues: Challenges of Forming a County-WIde RFPD Issues: The Details Issues: An Informed Public

DESIGN OF EXISTING FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN JOSEPHINE COUNTY

Brochure 6B of 16 in Rural Fire Protection Brochure Series

May 13, 2008
by
Exploratory Committee

Career Firefighters

Paid Per Call Firefighters

Volunteer Fighters

Tax Rates/Tax Rate Equivalents

Applegate RFPD        $2.53 per $1,000

Grants Pass Fire Rescue Data Not Available

Illinois Valley RFPD² $2.38 per $1,000

Inland Fire                  $0.80 per $1,000

Grants Pass Rural         $0.45 per $1,000

Rural Metro                  $1.98 per $1,000

Williams RFPD          $1.06 per $1,000

Wolf Creek RFPD         $2.98 per $1,000

Career, Volunteer, & Paid Per Call Firefighters

Delivery of Fire Protection Service by Rural Fire Protection Districts (RFPD’s), City of Grants Pass, & Private Fire Departments¹

Josephine County has one city fire department (Grants Pass), four RFPDs, and three private fire departments.

The Applegate RFPD is a special case as most of the district is located in neighboring Jackson County. The $40,674,255 is the assessed value of the district in Josephine County.

Applegate RFPD: ISO Class 6/9

Type of Fire Department Mostly Volunteer
Fire Stations 6
Career Firefighters 6
Volunteer Firefighters 40
Paid Per Call Firefighters 0
Non-Firefighting Employees 0
Non-Firefighting Volunteers 5
Assessed Value $40,674,255
Tax Rate $2.53 per $1,000

Illinois Valley RFPD: ISO Class 7/10

Type of Fire Department Mostly Volunteer
Fire Stations 6
Career Firefighters 4
Volunteer Firefighters 32
Paid Per Call Firefighters 0
Non-Firefighting Employees 0
Non-Firefighting Volunteers 17
Assessed Value $394,952, 837
Tax Rate² $2.38 per $1,000

Design Of Existing Fire Departments In Josephine County

Williams RFPD: ISO 7/10

Type of Fire Department Volunteer
Fire Stations 1
Career Firefighters 0
Volunteer Firefighters 25
Paid Per Call Firefighters 0
Non-Firefighting Employees 2
Non-Firefighting Volunteers 10
Assessed Value $111,647,612
Tax Rate $1.06 per $1,000

Wolf Creek RFPD: 7/10

Type of Fire Department Volunteer
Fire Stations 1
Career Firefighters 0
Volunteer Firefighters 10
Paid Per Call Firefighters 0
Non-Firefighting Employees 0
Non-Firefighting Volunteers 0
Assessed Value $24,825,814
Tax Rate $2.98 per $1,000

Grants Pass Fire Rescue: ISO Class 3

Type of Fire Department Mostly Career
Fire Stations 2
Career Firefighters 19
Volunteer Firefighters 0
Paid Per Call Firefighters 11
Non-Firefighting Employees 2
Non-Firefighting Volunteers 0
Assessed Value ??

Public Tax Base & Subscriptions

Rural Metro Fire Department: ISO Class 4/10⁴

Type of Fire Department Mostly Part-Time
Fire Stations 7
Career Firefighters 12
Volunteer Firefighters 0
Paid Per Call Firefighters 43
Non-Firefighting Employees 22
Non-Firefighting Volunteers 0
Assessed Value $2,045,310,000
Tax Rate Equivalent⁵ $1.98 per $1,000

Inland Fire Protection Agency: ISO Class 10/9

Type of Fire Department Mostly Volunteer
Fire Stations 1
Career Firefighters
Volunteer Firefighters
Paid Per Call Firefighters
Non-Firefighting Employees
Non-Firefighting Volunteers
Assessed Value Unknown
Tax Rate Equivalent Approx. $0.80 per $1,000

Grants Pass Rural Fire Department: ISO Class 10

Type of Fire Department Mostly Volunteer
Fire Stations⁶ 4
Career Firefighters ⁶ 0
Volunteer Firefighters ⁶ 35
Paid Per Call Firefighters ⁶ 0
Non-Firefighting Employees ⁶ 0
Non-Firefighting Volunteers ⁶ 4
Assessed Value Unknown
Tax Rate Equivalent Approx. $0.45 per $1,000

Want more information? Contact a member of the Exploratory Committee.⁷

RFPD Exploratory Committee’s Mission

Mission An independent Rural Fire Protection District (RFPD) Exploratory Committee (Exploratory Committee) to investigate the potential for forming a RFPD in the general Merlin-Hugo region was formed in the fall of 2007.

Big picture ideas for the exploratory effort include the following.

1. Identifying a range of boundaries for potential RFPD(s).

2. Identifying a range in level of services from potential RFPD(s).

3. Identifying a range of fees or assessments for services from potential RFPD(s).

4. Identifying revenues for services from potential RFPD(s).

The ultimate goal is a higher level of fire protection service for a lower cost.

The purpose of the Exploratory Committee is to gather information adequate enough to understand the rules/process to form a potential RFPD (i.e., rules, difficulty, pros and cons, levels of service, fees/ assessments, elections, etc.). This includes educational outreach efforts.

The Exploratory Committee’s purpose is limited to investigating and researching the potential (i.e., merits and liabilities) for forming a RFPD. Other potential actions will be considered and acted upon by other entities after the Exploratory Committee’s purpose has ended.

The contents of this brochure are expressions of the opinions and beliefs of those that contribute based on their thoughts and experiences and are not presented for any other purpose.

- Donations Are Not Tax Deductible -

Edited by Exploratory Committee

http://www.jeffnet.org/~hugo/existing1.htm

1. Fire department information downloaded April 12, 2008 from Fire Departments Net: http://www.firedepartments.net/county/OR/Josephine-County.html.

2. Grants Pass Daily Courier. April 1, 2008. IV fire levy would ensure help all day. Opinion. Grants Pass, OR. (Proposed five-year levy of $1.68 per $1,000 for upgraded service to provide 24-hour-a-day coverage.)

3. Walker, Mike, Member of Exploratory Committee, interviewed Laurel Sampson, Assistant City Manager, City of Grants Pass, Oregon. April 29, 2008. Sampson comments: Tax rate for Grants Pass Fire Rescue not available.

4. ISO Class 4/10: Class 4 within 1,000' of a hydrant; ISO 6/9 within 5 miles of a fire station; ISO 10 outside of 5 miles.

5. Turnbull, Phil , Fire Chief, Rural/Metro Fire Department. May 6, 2008. Email to Exploratory Committee, Josephine County, OR.

6. Josephine County Fire Protection Committee. 2008. JO CO Files. 2005 Appendices 1- 7. Grants Pass, OR.

7. More information is provided in the Exploratory Committee’s educational outreach program of 16 brochures.

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