Fairchild briefs trustees on numbers, long-term plans
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POLSON — Polson Fire Chief John Fairchild reported December was a slow month for the fire department at the Polson Rural Fire District meeting on Jan. 11.
Firefighters made 14 runs, nine of which were rural and two were crashes, Fairchild noted during the chief’s report.
As far as figures for 2011, the department responded to 229 fire calls — an average year, Fairchild explained, with 73 calls north of the Armed Forces Memorial Bridge and 156 calls south of the bridge.
Two new firefighters, Derrik Gerke and Brian Hines, were welcomed into the fire department this month.
Work has not been scheduled on Engine 319’s exhaust system, so Fairchild will get an estimate from a Missoula firm.
Fairchild also has been scheduling training opportunities for area firefighters. A class on structural critical factors for officers will be held at the Fairground Fire Station on Feb. 4. Then in March, an operations and wildland urban interface training will be held at the Ronan Community Center.
During other business, Fairchild also reported on long-term strategic planning. Area resident Sid Rundell, Chair of the Fire District Jack Clapp and Fairchild brainstormed and came up concerns for the fire department and the community.
The document lists the strength of the department and threats, weakness and concerns, as well as a proposed plan for replacement of Polson Rural Fire District equipment.
The trustees will look at the planning document and talk about it at next month’s meeting.
The interlocal agreement between the City of Polson and the Polson Rural Fire District was discussed during new business. Trustee Steve Stanley suggested the board rewrite the interlocal agreement so it reflects that the money the PRFD pays is for the services of the fire chief and for administrative costs to the city.
The board unanimously approved a motion to rewrite the interlocal agreement by the February meeting, including Stanley’s suggestion, deleting language about storage of equipment and ask the city to return the document to the PRFD in 60 days.
Trustees also unanimously approved a citizen committee, headed up by Trustee Dean Sams, of from five to seven community members to get some feedback from the community.
Discussing Engine 328, the trustees asked Fairchild to determine how much the engine will bring and to put the vehicle on the market.
Stanley commended firefighter Drew Hoel on how hard he works taking care of fire department equipment and said Fairchild deserved an “attaboy,” too.
Resident Tom Eddy applauded the board during public comment for making the minutes available before the monthly meetings.
Clapp reported on a meeting at Mac Binger’s place on Buffalo Bridge where Binger is installing a pump capable of producing 250 gallons of water per minute.
“We can fill tender, brush trucks, whatever,” Clapp noted, saying that the PRFD would pay for the connection, at a cost of about $200.
The next meeting will be held on February 8 at the Fairgrounds Fire Station.
