What Will The Levy Pay For?
Hire two additional Firefighter/EMT's
Hire additional daytime firefighters during summer wildland fire season
Fund the replacement of two additional ambulances
WHY?
Call volumes have increased by 40% in the past two years
Call volumes have increased by 80% in the past decade
The percentage of overlapping simultaneous 911 calls have increased by 135%
The second out ambulance, M92, utilization has increased by 188% over the past decade
In 2022, Keizer Fire, Dallas Fire, Salem Fire, and Falk Ambulance responded 359 times to 911 calls in Polk County Fire District 1 when Medic 91 and Medic 92 were responding to other 911 calls.
Proposed Staffing Model With Levy Funding
With funding from the levy to add additional staff, firefighters can operate a number of different apparatus to appropriately respond to fire and emergency 911 calls for our community.
CURRENT STAFFING MODEL
As you can see, four firefighters per shift does not allow for the flexibility to appropriately provide essential fire and emergency medical services to the community.
How Much Will It Cost?
Polk County Fire District No.I Board of Directors voted - unanimously to refer a local option levy, or operating levy, of $0.78 cents per $1,000 of taxable assessed value to the May 2023 ballot.
A 1,396-square-foot home built in 2004 in Independence
• Real Market Value:$349,250
• Maximum Assessed Value: $176,330
•The operating levy would cost $0,78 per $1,000 or the maximum assessed value, or Sll.46 per month, an increase or $8.67 from the current operating levy.