PHOTO COURTESY OF HERMISTON FIRE & EMERGENCY SERVICES
The Hermiston Fire & Emergency Services has a standard goal of arriving at the scene of a fire within 10 minutes in 90 percent of cases. In 2015, however, the department met that goal just 21 percent of the time.
Hermiston Fire Chief Scott Stanton said the department is experiencing delays for service on a monthly basis. With yearly increases in calls for service, Stanton said it is “becoming more challenging to meet our goals every day.
On Sunday, the department’s A-shift responded to 21 calls of service that included one patient being flown from the scene and seven transports out of Good Shepherd Medical Center. Two were taken to Portland-area hospitals and five to Tri-Cities hospitals while still covering local emergency calls.
“While no delays were encountered on the 21st it was an extremely busy shift where at any moment one more additional call could have resulted in a tragedy,” Stanton said. “A-shift, off-duty personnel and our volunteers did a great job Sunday serving our citizens.”
Stanton is hoping voters will approve a November bond measure that would reform the fire districts of Hermiston and Stanfield into the new Umatilla County Fire District # 1. If the measure passes, Stanton said he will be able to hire additional firefighter/medics to help alleviate response problems.
A similar measure was defeated by voters in 2015, 57 to 43 percent. The biggest difference between that measure and this year’s proposed measure is the cost. This time around the measure would cost taxpayers $1.75 per $1,000 of assessed property value, down from the $2/$1,000 a year ago. The district currently receives $1.20 per $1,000 of assessed value, which is about 84 cents per $1,000 less than the state average.
Hermiston taxpayers, however, will not see their tax bills increase even if the measure passes because state law limits the amount of property taxes which can be paid for “general government” services to $10 per $1,000, and Hermiston residents are already capped out at the $10 level. If taxes exceed the limit, then the actual amount paid by taxpayers, and disbursed to taxing districts, is compressed to fit within the cap. What that means is that the city will lose some tax revenue that it typically receives, because it would be diverted to the fire district. Under compression, if the measure passes next year, the city would lose about $136,000 per year.
Over the next couple weeks, representatives from both district boards will be meeting with Stanton to discuss a contingency plan if the reformation fails. Items such as, reduction in staffing, prolonging vehicle replacement, bond measures and handling increased response times will be discussed.
For additional information on the reformation efforts, call 541-567-8822 or 541-449-1123. Residents can also come to the main station in Hermiston for “Coffee with the Chiefs” every Thursday morning at 8:30 beginning this week.
