WHITEFISH — The Whitefish Fire Department serves the Whitefish Fire Service Area, which encompasses 80 square miles outside city limits.
Flathead County Commissioners approved a rate increase for the fire service area on Thursday, July 11.
The Whitefish Fire Service Area is different from a fire district as its rate increases are approved by county commissioners rather than voters.
“We contract with Whitefish City Fire to respond to calls in that 80 square miles that surrounds Whitefish. So, we needed a rate increase to cover our costs of the contract with Whitefish City Fire, and also help put money back into our infrastructure as well,” said Whitefish Fire Service Area Executive Director DC Haas.
The last rate increase was in 2015 and in order to keep up with the cost of inflation — and to help fund purchases of equipment such as additional fire trucks — the rate increase was needed.
“Firemen are expensive, and we understand that, but we'd like to at least get the process started so that we can have, in the future, better fire service,” said a man during the public comment period during the Flathead County Commissioners meeting.
Following the commissioner's approval, there will be a flat rate fee increase from $144 per year per household to $180 for residents within the fire service area.
“Kudos to Whitefish City for their hard work in protecting us. They're busy. I mean, they've got one station to cover the City of Whitefish and then our 80 square miles as well," Haas said. "So they're busy and we need to step up and do our jobs and provide better funding to get more people, to staff stations, to build stations, to get equipment. It's a big chunk of real estate, that 80 square miles, that doesn't have enough coverage."
The Whitefish Fire Service Area Board is working on a long-term plan for funding that they hope to present to the Flathead County Commissioners in the future.
Learn more about the Whitefish Fire Service Area at https://www.whitefishfireservicearea.org/.
