Creek Nation Wants Tulsa Fire Protection At Its Casino

By Emory Bryan, The News on 6

TULSA, OK -- The Muscogee Creek Nation wants a contract with the Tulsa Fire Department that would provide lower cost fire service for the tribe's businesses in Tulsa. The tribe operates the River Spirit Casino, a smoke shop and has administrative offices at 8330 South Riverside Drive.

The contract would provide the tribe with a predetermined cost for service, and also give TFD the right to inspect their buildings for compliance with the fire code. The Tulsa Fire Department currently bills the tribe for each response. Each truck that responds costs $500 an hour.

A proposed contract has been reviewed, but not approved by the Tulsa City Council. It specifies an annual payment of 13 cents per square foot of buildings. As a sovereign nation, the tribe is not subject to sales tax that otherwise pays the cost of delivering fire service.

Read The Proposed Contract

Ray Driskell of the Tulsa Fire Department said TFD responded to the location 440 times over the last 5 years. The contract would require the tribe to pay $40,200 per year. The tribe pays an average of $44,000 per year without the contract.

Councilor John Eagleton asked TFD to incorporate language into the contract that would cover the rising cost of fire service each year. The one-year contract has a provision that allows for two annual renewals. Eagleton also expressed a concern that under the contract, a major fire at the casino would require a large response, but no extra payment from the tribe.

The Tulsa Fire Department has a similar agreement the Cherokee Nation.