Opinion | Support local firefighters, ambulances by voting yes on fire district levies

As ballots arrive in mailboxes, it’s time for voters to do their homework. Fortunately, on three local measures, voters’ choice is easy. We recommend they support local fire district funding measures.

Franklin County Fire District 3, Benton County Fire District 2 and Walla Walla Fire District 5 are each asking voters to support a tax increase. There are some technical differences between the three requests, but the bottom line is that the districts need more money. Voters who want to dig into the details should check out Cory McCoy’s story in the Tri-City Herald and explanations in the Voters’ Pamphlets.

What voters need to know is that the measures will increase taxes for property owners by a few dollars per month. In return, the fire districts will receive desperately needed funds to provide both fire and ambulance services.

Those ambulance services now make up more than half of the calls in these districts.

Levy lids have capped revenue growth at a time when growth and inflation are driving up costs. Fire districts respond to more calls and pay more for things like fuel. That leaves little money to pay for other things like replacing worn-out equipment and hiring more firefighters and EMTs.

This couldn’t be happening at a much worse time. Not only do fire districts have to protect more people, the region is experiencing heightened wildfire risk. That likely is the new normal as climate change brings longer, hotter wildfire seasons and prolonged droughts.

If taxpayers reject the funding requests, they still might wind up paying more in other ways. Response times likely would increase. That in turn increases the risk that a small fire that might have been contained turns catastrophic.

It also catches the eyes of insurance companies that raise rates to reflect the additional risk. Given the choice between funding local firefighters or padding insurance companies’ bottom lines, we’ll pick the firefighters.

There’s been precious little public opposition to the measures beyond the usual hand wringing about government and taxes. Such concerns prevailed last year when all three districts asked voters for more money, and voters said no.

The leadership of the districts learned from those failed measures and have changed their proposals to be more friendly to taxpayers.

It’s hard to appreciate the services that fire districts provide, at least on a personal level, unless one has been through a fire or saved by medical first responders.

We suspect that no one who has had their home or life saved by local firefighters would begrudge them the tools and personnel they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. Voters who have not experienced a fire or medical emergency themselves are endowed with imagination and rational thinking.

Do they really want to cheap out on protection? Public services aren’t free.

Voters elect boards to run local fire districts. Those are the experts who know what resources they need to provide the level of service the public deserves. They also know that there is a streak of tax aversion out there. They don’t ask for more money lightly or often.

These won’t be the last public safety funding requests on the ballot this year. Franklin County commissioners could ask voters in November to approve a 911 public safety sales tax. The commissioners are dithering over whether to ask for 1 cent on every $10 or 2 cents.

This shouldn’t be a hard question. Few people would ever notice the difference at the cash register, and it’s desperately needed money to upgrade the regional 911 system.

Franklin County Fire District 3 includes unincorporated parts of Pasco and rural areas north and east of the city, following the Snake River out past Redd.

Walla Walla Fire District 5 includes the Burbank area and rural lands south of the Snake River out to a bit past Ash and south to about the McNary National Wildlife Refuge.

Benton County Fire District 2 includes Benton City and surrounding lands, mostly extending west past Chaffee and north to the Hanford Reach National Monument.

The three districts combined protect more than 375 square miles and more than 20,000 residents. We urge voters who live in them to support public safety by voting yes on the levies.