“This is the first time since the Peyton Fire Protection District was created in 1988 that the district has asked for a mill levy increase,” said Bob Joly, member of the Peyton Fire Protection District board. “We had a hard time deciding to ask for the increase. We have the lowest fire district mill levy in all of El Paso County, and it generated just $59,304.35 this year.”We’ve done our best to keep our old equipment running, but we’re having a hard time with our 25-year-old pumper truck,” Joly said. “Replacement parts are hard to find and expensive. Our EMT truck is a hand-me-down from the Simla fire district, which got it from AMR in Nevada. This year, we matched district money with grants from Mountain View Electric and the El Pomar Foundation to get a new brush fire truck. It’s the first new piece of equipment we’ve ever had. Bigger grants require more matching funds, and we just don’t have enough money in the budget to apply for bigger grants.”Most property owners in this district are paying $20 to $35 per year to the fire district, Joly said. “If the mill levy increase passes, they’ll be paying $60 to $105 per year, which is a tank full of gas for many. Our pumper truck only pumps 750 gallons per minute, so if voters approve the increase, we’ll apply for a FEMA grant to replace the pumper truck with one that pumps 1,200 gallons per minute. We’ll have to train on the new pumper truck, so within six months to a year of getting the truck, we’ll be able to call for a new ISO (Insurance Services Organization) inspection.”Joly said an improved ISO rating would mean a decrease in homeowner insurance, as much as $150 to $200 per years, he said, for residents in the district. He also said the district would like to someday add a station at Peyton Pines and one at Judge Orr Road so everyone in the district is within five miles of a fire station.This summer, the Peyton Fire Protection District did not pass its ISO inspection. “We weren’t maintaining proper training records and run reports, and less than four firefighters responded on 60 percent of our structure fire calls,” Joly said.”We’ve improved record keeping so we’ll pass the next inspection.”The district is operating under an interim fire chief and “actively seeking new volunteers and improving its training program,” Joly added. Training sessions are held every Wednesday at 7 pm and the public is invited.”We’re an all-volunteer district, and we’re equipping volunteers with second-hand masks and gloves that don’t fit,” he said. “That’s the situation we have now, and it’s not right.”
