The Falcon Fire Protection District held its regular monthly board meeting Jan. 18. All board members were in attendance, as was Richard Shearer, legal counsel for the district.Treasurerís reportFire Chief Trent Harwig presented the final treasurerís report for 2016. He reported that 100 percent of anticipated revenue has been received. A revenue increase of $46,955 was mostly due to special ownership taxes, but increased interest rates also contributed to that amount.Harwig reported that the district ended the year about $275,000 under budget. The general fund was underspent by $228,431. About $70,000 of that amount was the result of deferring some engine and equipment expenditures for Station 4 until 2017. There was also a decrease in salaries and benefits.Harwig said the first payment on Station 4 is due in June, but would be paid on Jan. 18, which will save on interest.Chiefís reportThe board discussed the chiefís intent to apply for a grant to hire additional firefighters. The SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency is a three-year program that would cover salaries and benefits for a designated number of new firefighters at 90 percent for the first year, 50 percent for the second year and 30 percent for the third year. Fire departments become 100 percent responsible for personnel expenses after that third year. Under the 2017 SAFER grant, fire departments that cannot meet National Fire Protection Association standards for staffing receive priority for consideration.Harwig called the SAFER grant an ìopportunity to hire now rather than later,î and said the anticipated growth in the fire district should provide adequate funding to absorb those personnel costs at the end of the grant. He estimated the cost to employ nine full-time firefighters at about a half-million dollars. Harwig noted that FFPD was able to increase staffing through a 2006 SAFER grant and a subsequent 2011 voter-approved mill levy increase to retain the firefighters hired under that grant. ìIt worked well for us then,î he said.StatisticsThe district had 199 calls for service in December, which was the second-highest monthly call volume on record. A record 2,074 total incidents in 2016 represents a 3.3 percent increase over 2015 and marks the fifth straight year of increased annual call volume.On social media, Facebook followers increased 37.7 percent, while Twitter saw a 117.7 percent increase in followers.Station 4 constructionHarwig reported that ìeverything is going wellî with the Station 4 construction project. Interior walls and insulation are in. Interior colors have been selected. Estimated completion is March, with the station going into service in late March or early April.Swearing-in of reservistBrian Deckard was sworn in as a full reserve member. He started in last yearís reserve firefighter academy, and is the first of 15 reservists to complete all requirements.
