The Fredericktown Community Fire District will ask voters this November 3, to approve and support the renewal to an existing 1-mil levy fire protection levy for a period of five years. The levy would commence in 2021, and first due in calendar year 2022.
We would like to emphasize that this is a renewal, not new taxes or changes taking place with funding for the FCFD. This levy directly funds the operations of the FCFD on a yearly basis and is responsible for providing the fire protection services to the residents of Berlin Township, Middlebury Township, Morris Township (A), Pike Township, Wayne Township, and the Village of Fredericktown. The last change to funding for the fire district was roughly two decades ago, with the levy verbiage dating back even further.
“The levy that our residents are seeing in November directly impacts our ability to operate and provide their fire protection,” said FCFD Public Information Officer Jason Bostic. “Our levy funding determines our ability to decide what equipment we can purchase and the level of services that we are able to offer to the community.”
While the levy is no different in valuation or the verbiage for a considerably long time, the improved services that the district provides have drastically changed. Over the course of the last 10-15 years we have made significant changes to safety equipment which we utilize, upgrades fire apparatus, increased the level of training, increased community outreach, and so much more. Other notable changes include the construction of a second firehouse In Pike Township, the operation of a fire cadet program that works as a feeder program to bring in new firefighters, and the addition of daytime staffing Monday through Friday.
“It takes a lot of forecasting and looking to the future in order to balance out the projects that we have here at the FCFD. We aren’t just looking at next quarter, we are looking years down the road,” said Bostic. “Apparatus replacements, fire gear replacements, and other pieces of equipment all have a life cycle that we strive to maintain and get the best use out of.”
In addition to the levy funding, yearly the department seeks grant opportunities at the Local, State, and Federal levels that allows them to fund equipment purchases and pay for the cost of training. Over the course of the last 15 years, the FCFD has been awarded at least one, sometimes as many as three grants a year to handle the costs of projects that further the mission of the district. Major upgrades to hydraulic rescue tools, lifting bags, stabilization struts, radio equipment, laptops, training props, SCBA equipment, protective gear, and hand tools are just some of the physical items that grants have made possible.
In 2019 a significant local grant allowed us to upgrade and expand the capabilities of our dive rescue team at the FCFD. As one of two dive teams in the county and having a significant amount of water in our own fire district, these new capabilities provide a faster and safer means for our divers to operate. Grants don’t just help us, but the improvements made through our grant work also help our neighboring departments wherever we are called to serve through mutual-aid.
Careful expenditures combined with solid planning from the Chief down has been a key over the course of time. Within the FCFD we have firefighters with a wide variety of background and expertise that come to the table when we look at purchases and improvements.
Ultimately, beyond all the accomplishments that the fire district has attained over the years, it is the community support that drives our mission. Our citizens, those we serve have graciously supported and trusted us at the voting booth and beyond. That community support is something the firefighters don’t take lightly. Although a paid-per-call department, they hold professionalism and customer service as a key part of their operation.
Firefighters for the district recognize that regardless of the situation, when people make contact with us, that we need to be the problem solvers and often fill gaps from other services. Things such as clearing roadways from storms, pumping basements from flooding, providing answers and someone to point them in the right direction for answers.
The FCFD combination fire department utilizing daytime staffing Monday-Friday along with a dedicated group of paid-per-call firefighters to accomplish our mission. We protect the residents of 118-square miles of northwest Knox County and those that pass through on a daily basis. We operate two stations with 28 current members with over 50% of our members being certified at the 240-hour professional firefighter level. Our department fleet consists of two engines, a rescue, tanker, two grass trucks, dive rescue boat, dive rescue trailer, fire ATV, and a chief’s vehicle.
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