Understanding Fire Service in Tyrone Township
Our small community is unique in that we do not have our own fire department. Instead we contract with three area fire departments for coverage For more details visit the Township website: Police & Fire Safety
Tomorrow night’s agenda includes consideration for changing our open burn ordinance to eliminate burn permits. This issue is multifaceted and brought more questions than answers on the road to understanding. In an effort to better understand these issues, we’ve drafted a letter to the Township asking for their help. We hope to update the blog with answers soon.
November 1, 2021
Dear Board Members,
Below is a collection of questions we’ve gathered from conversations with a wide range of residents. We are hoping you can help us better understand how our fire service dollars function, what they cover and do not cover, and what eliminating the burn permit would change for us. We are hoping to share publicly the answers to these questions to help residents deepen their understanding and look forward to your discussion on the matter as a Township Board tomorrow night. Thank you.
Fire Service Questions for Tyrone Township Board
When did fire permits initially go into effect and what was the purpose of their implementation?
Burn permits were established in 2009 as a way to fully inform residents who intended to burn of the safety guidelines in place.
When did residents of Tyrone Township start using part of their taxes to contribute to fire services? What is the current fee per household? How are those funds spent and what is covered for the residents with these funds?
Township residents don’t actually pay for fire services with their taxes. They do pay $150 per residential household because of a special assessment that was voted on with the 2010 ballot. Businesses pay $250. These funds cover all fire runs in the community so long as ordinances are being followed.
According to the Treasurer’s report dated September 2021, $585,595 was spent on Police and Fire Services. Could you break down how much was spent for each (police & fire), and what the fire expenses covered?
To date as of November 2, 2021
Police: $37, 683
Fire $317,823
What are our annual fire service expenses for the past 3 years? (Fire only/Fiscal Years)
2019 S443,545
2020 $443,561
2021 $485,203
Is there a discrepancy between revenue and expenses for fire services? (More collected than spent)
Please see the question below about how a surplus is handled.
Who determines the fire run rates? How do these rates compare to other similar communities across the state?
The three fire chiefs look at what their total expenses are and they divide total runs up and that determines and average cost per run.
How much revenue is collected annually on average for burn permits? How are those funds used?
Not much. Maybe a couple thousand dollars.
Is it correct that the current policy is if a resident purchases a burn permit and the FD is called out for an open burn situation, then the Township pays the fire run fee? From what funds are these charges paid?
Yes, this has been the policy since 2009. Fire runs are paid from the special assessment fund mentioned above that’s dedicated to public safety.
Conversely, if a resident does not have an open burn permit, then the resident pays the fire run bill?
Yes, this has been the policy since 2009. As of November 2, 2021 the Board has voted to change the ordinance to remove burn permit requirements for residents.
How is billing and payment different for other types of fires, housefires for example?
The Township pays for fire service on ANY type of fire. They in turn only bill residents if ordinances were not followed.
How would this change if permits were dissolved entirely? Would residents then simply pay the fire run expenses in all open burn call outs as a personal responsibility? Would this reduce the amount of our tax dollars going into fire service funds OR are the current funds sufficient from taxes to cover the fire run expenses already?
There are currently sufficient funds to cover fire expenses in Tyrone Township. On November 2nd, the Board voted to eliminate burn permits. Residents ONLY pay fire run expenses if the fire is caused in a way that was breaking ordinance rules.
If burn permits are dissolved, will the ordinance(s) keep the detailed rules for safe burning and guidelines for what can and cannot be burned as they are currently written in the ordinances?
Yes. All safety guidelines will stay in place via ordinances. It is important for residents to read the ordinance regarding burning so they are informed before starting a fire. The burn ordinances can be found here.
In the event there is a surplus of funds collected, where do those funds go?
All funds collected for public safety via special assessment for police and fire services goes to a specific fund for public safety. If there were a surplus, those funds would stay in that account and can ONLY be spent on public safety expenses. Some years are more expensive than others for extenuating circumstances.
Is there a Citizen’s Committee that consults with the Township on fire service matters? If so, who are the participants and when do they meet?
During times of contract renegotiation there is a committe of residents who participates and consults during the process. It is not an active committee at this time.
Would the Township consider hosting a workshop event in which the FD and Township officials were willing to engage in Q & A on this topic and share information with residents so that we can better understand our fire service?
This was determined to be unnecessary at this juncture because the Township Board took the time to answer these questions and others with a thorough disucssion during their regular Board meeting. They also had already thought through strategies for keeping the community informed on burn ordinances through the newsletter, email, and website. The idea of a workshop no longer made sense on this issue.
Sincerely,
Sara Dollman-Jersey
FOLLOW UP: At the November 2nd Board meeting, Board members took the time to answer these questions for us. You can see the recording here. Thank you Tyrone Township Board for helping the community better understand fire services and fees.