WMFPD Chief on Ballot Issue 7A:
Special District Mil Levy Increase

by Fred Hernandez
On election day, November 06, 2018, less than five weeks from today, voters will find in their ballot, among the myriad of Amendments and Propositions, a Special District Measure known as Wet Mountain Fire Protection District Ballot Issue 7 A. Despite its long name the measure is quite simply a request to increase (by 2 mills) taxes for the Custer County Fire Department for collection in the calendar year of 2019.

In an interview with Fire Chief Kit Shy he outlines the very sensible rationale for the increase which comes to less than a hundred and ninety thousand dollars a year. While all the reasons make perfect sense, foremost among them is the plain fact that the last mil levy in 1980 was almost forty years ago. Since then, the fire district has been judicious in the management of their financial resources. Consider that apart from the main station in Westcliffe five substations have been built within the existing budget. The department has at least two million dollars’ worth of rolling stock and a similar value in real estate. The main station has about a dozen vehicles and all substations have two vehicles except for one at Hillside. Consider also that since the 1970 Census the population of the county has doubled two times. Private residences have increased significantly as well as commercial structures. All this new development requires prompt and effective fire protection. Throughout all these years and growth there has been no additional infusion to the mil levy.

In the meantime, training which is top priority among the volunteers (now about thirty) has been kept at a high standard. “I take it personally that we train our volunteers, equip them and protect them at the highest standards possible.” says Chief Shy, adding that they have many volunteers applying for the positions over and above the significant number of new ones so far this year. Then there is the all-important issue of maintenance of all the equipment that the department has accumulated over the years. As time passes the firefighting apparatus needs more attention to keep at peak performance levels.

The overall quality of each section of the fire department be it personnel protective gear, equipment, training or water sources all have a direct impact on the insurance rates of the community. This is the way the fire department pays back to the taxpayer for their support. By the optimum use of funds generated by taxes in running a top-flight operation the ISO, an official insurance entity that determines rates, reduces rates in areas that have efficient, effective fire departments. In this endeavor Captain Dave Tonsing, former Fire Chief and current board member of the fire district, has done much good work to greatly improve the insurance rates and maintain or even reduce the premiums paid by members of the communities served by the Wet Mountain Fire Protection District.

This fire department has come a long way from the 1970’s when they had three aging trucks stationed in the current Westcliffe Town Hall to the current state of the art company of well equipped, highly trained firefighting volunteers who provide fire protection and prevention for over 634 square miles of territory containing a mix of drought stressed wildlands, and a steadily increasing number of commercial and public structures and residential dwellings.

The WMFPD is also responsible for primary rescue response for accidents on 400 plus miles of county roads and portions of three Colorado State Highways. Yes indeed, much progress has taken place and yet they must be ready for the challenges of the future. Better training, better equipment and more efficiency. That is the paramount reason to support an increase in their financial resources. In the end it is the community of Custer County that benefits from any increase given to the Wet Mountain Fire District.