Upgrades urgently needed for Butler Fire Station

An open letter from Butler Fire Chief Jim Henry

In 1990, the Butler City Council purchased a new 1991 pumper for the Butler Fire Department. When this unit was purchased, the Public Safety Committee of the City Council saw the need for periodic upgrades of fire equipment. The thought at that time was to purchase a new pumper every 10 years, thus with each purchase replacing a unit that was 30 years old.

In 2000, we considered replacing a1973 pumper unit, but there was not sufficient funding in the General Fund.

In 2007, the citizens of Butler passed a measure to increase the local sales tax 1/8th of 1% for five years for the purchase and upgrade of equipment for the Fire Department. At the time, this tax was estimated to generate approximately $75,000.00 per year. The tax will expire this year.

This money was used to purchase a new pumper unit for the department to replace a 1973 unit, and refurbish a 1990 pumper.

The fire department still has the need for equipment replacement on a continuing basis. We are operating a 1981 and a 1988 tanker units, which were both constructed in-house. These units do not meet the National Fire Protection standards for motorized fire apparatus.

We are also utilizing a 1988 rescue truck, which needs to be replaced.

In addition to our rolling stock, upgrades need to be continually made to other firefighting equipment.

Our self-contained breathing apparatus was purchased under a federal grant. We purchased new units and spare bottles. We have to have our air bottles hydrostatically tested every 3 years, and after 15 years of the date of manufacture, these bottles will not be able to be retested per federal guidelines.

In addition, our protective clothing utilized by our personnel is approximately 11 years old. The life expectancy is approximately 10 years at best. The current sets need to be replaced with new sets that meet the National Fire Protection Association standards. Each set of protective clothing costs approximately $1,400.00.

Fire hose, nozzles, and related equipment needs to be replaced periodically, and with technology advancing, new types of equipment needs to be purchased.

Federal grants for purchase of new equipment and periodic replacement is becoming less and less each year, and is very competitive. Chances of receiving one of these grants is slim at best.

The money in the City of Butler General Fund is not sufficient to cover the expenditures for the needed equipment replacement of the Fire Department on a continuing basis.

We will be asking the voters for a 1/8 of 1% sales tax in the primary election on August 7, 2012. This tax will not have a sunset, which means that in the future, there should be sufficient monies available for the needs of the fire department for equipment replacement. An item costing $10.00 would increase 1¢, an item costing $50.00 would increase 6¢, and an item costing $100.00 would increase 12¢. This tax has been in existence for the last 5 years, so essentially it is a continuation of an existing tax.

This money cannot be used for any purpose other than the Fire Department. It will not be used to fund the day-to-day operations of the department.

With this money available, equipment will be able to be replaced on a regular schedule without having to worry about where the money is coming from. We will be able to plan for long-range goals for the future of the department.

The Fire Department employs two full time personnel on a 40 hr. per week schedule, including a Fire Chief and Deputy Chief.

The Fire Chief also serves as the Emergency Management Director for the City.

Duties of these personnel include maintenance of the equipment, conducting rental inspections, conducting fire inspections, inspections of all new construction within the city, and various public relations activities.

All other personnel on the department are paid per call, and are only paid if they respond to an incident. These personnel are dedicated to the safety of the residents in the city, and have put in many hours of their own time attending training to improve their capabilities.

The ISO rating for the City of Butler is a Class 5. The ISO rating reflects on the cost of insurance within the area protected by the department. This rating is done approximately every 10 years. We are constantly striving to improve this rating.

The members of your Butler Fire Department are asking for your vote for the 1/8 of 1% sales tax for fire protection on August 7, 2012.