Verdigris Fire District Presents Bond For New Station: Public To Decide

People in the Verdigris Fire District will have the chance to decide whether to approve a bond for a new fire station and other upgrades.

Verdigris Fire District Chief Mike Shaffer said the department is literally outgrowing its current headquarters.

"You have to specially produce that vehicle to be 9 foot 6--and most of those firetrucks that are being built now are not 9-foot-6,” Shaffer said.

Firetrucks aren't the only thing getting bigger. Shaffer said more people are moving into the 36 square miles the department is responsible for covering.

The $13.5 million bond would go towards a second fire station and buildings for training and storage.

Shaffer said in July, 25% of the department's calls came when firefighters were already working different scenes.

"That is something that we've identified, we've researched, we've seen it consistently growing, and it's something that the district needs to address,” he said.

The money would also go towards upgrading the fleet. Shaffer said the national recommendation is to get new rigs every 15 years -- and some of the current firetrucks are past that timeframe.

"They're old enough to be classified as antiques--so they look great in a parade--but when it's your emergency call or your house on fire, you want the best of the best of the equipment.”

If approved, Shaffer said the average homeowner living in the fire district will see a yearly increase of $80 for every $100,000 in home value.

"The district does not take in retail sales tax. We are solely based off of special assessments on property values, much like a school district,” said Shaffer.

A specific location for the new fire station hasn't been revealed, but Shaffer said the bond would last 12 years.

People living in the Verdigris Fire District will have the chance to vote on this bond this coming Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.