HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-22-07_Fire Mill Levy_2Bozeman Fire Department
Mill Levy Fact Sheet ‐ November 2007
What will the mill levy fund?
• Hire and equip 11 new firefighters to staff a new Fire Station
• Annual commitment to the department’s equipment
replacement plan for aging fire apparatus
Why is the mill levy needed?
9 Lower excessive response times. National standards recommend that the first fire apparatus arrive at an
emergency within 6 minutes at least 90% of the time. Today, response times in Bozeman are often 10
minutes or more due to longer travel distances, increased traffic, and higher call volumes which means fire
units must often clear from one emergency scene to respond to another. Construction and staffing of a new
fire station will reduce response times and improve response to the entire city.
Fire Growth Curve Heart Attack Survivability Curve
9 Help ensure the Fire Department is available to respond when an emergency happens. Presently, with two
fire stations and six firefighters staffing two fire engines, the fire department can provide initial response to
1 small structure fire, OR, 1 traffic crash, OR, 1 building alarm, OR, 2 single patient EMS calls. A second fire,
crash, alarm, or third medical call overloads our system and will get a delayed response. Adding a third
staffed fire engine will enhance the department’s ability to respond effectively to the growing number of fire
and medical emergencies occurring within city limits.
9 Increase staffing at fires and other emergencies. It takes a minimum of 15 firefighters to conduct sustained
operations at a medium sized structure fire. Presently, minimum staffing in the Bozeman Fire Department is
6 firefighters. The balance of needed personnel is made up from off‐duty staff and mutual aid fire
departments, but help is often 20‐25 minutes away if it’s available at all. The entire county is experiencing
the same kind of growth, and area fire departments are stressed to provide services to their constituency as
well. Adding a third fire station and staffed fire engine will enhance the fire department’s ability to conduct
effective operations at all types of emergency scenes but will specifically increase our effectiveness at
structure fires.
9 Insurance rates. The Insurance Services Organization (ISO) analyzes Citys’ fire protection systems and issues
Town Class ratings. Prior to 2001, Bozeman was a Class 4 city. However, ISO’s most recent evaluation
increased our rating to a 5 resulting in increased fire insurance premiums. ISO stated in its report that the
City needed a third fire station and a third staffed engine to handle Bozeman’s fire potential. The passage of
the mill levy will allow the fire department to add that additional fire engine to more effectively protect the
city and help lower Bozeman’s ISO Class rating.
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What will it cost me? The costs will follow the taxable market value of your home and adjust accordingly. The
market value of your home is significantly higher than the taxable market value of your home. The median
home in Bozeman has an $89,000 taxable value, which means half the homes have a taxable market value of
more, and half the homes in town have a taxable value that is less than $89,000.
Bozeman Median Homeowner ($89,000 taxable market value) $44.80 per year $3.73 per month
$100,000 taxable market value $48.16 per year $4.01 per month
$200,000 taxable market value $96.32 per year $8.02 per month
The map on the right
shows 4, 6, and 8 minute
TRAVEL times from each
of our current fire station
locations. These travel
times equate to 6, 8, and
10 minute RESPONSE
times from our current
fire stations.
Station 3 will be built in
the northwest quadrant
of the city near the
County Regional Park.
This new station will
serve this fast growing
portion of the city as well
as provide additional
emergency response
resources for the entire
city and reduce delayed
responses citywide.
The future extension of
Graf Street from 19th to
South 3rd will reduce
response times to South
Graf, Westfield Park and
Sundance Springs
subdivisions.
Who can I contact if I have questions? For answers to your questions or to schedule a presentation
for your group, please call the Bozeman Fire Department at 582‐2350 or visit www.Bozemanfire.com for more
information.
You will receive your mail ballot in mid‐October 2007. Please vote!
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