Community

Posted in: Community
Victor Council Discusses Fire Budget
By Mitch Traphagen mitch@eiherald.com
Jan 31, 2008 - 10:25:41 PM

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Victor Fire Chief Tom Kurovski holds fire safety equipment as part of his 2008 department budget presentation to the city council. Mitch Traphagen Photo

VICTOR – The Victor City Council met in an annual special session on Monday to review the fire department budget.  The council first convened at City Hall, then reconvened at the fire station where fire chief Tom Kurovski detailed the budget and demonstrated equipment needs to the council and Mayor Roger Pawlak.

Safety equipment for the 26 person volunteer fire department lead the 2008 budget with $5,600 slated for four sets of new turnout gear.  Turnout gear is highly specialized and designed with safety and mobility in mind.  Kurovski continues to apply for grants to replace all worn and outdated equipment.  Barring the available of such grants, however, the department plans to replace three to four sets of turnout gear each year.

Vehicle maintenance and training and certification also topped the list at $4,000 and $1,000 respectively.

Thanks to a wet spring, the VFD responded to fewer calls in 2007 – one in the city of Victor and 29 in rural areas.  One department vehicle, a 1977 Chevrolet truck, sustained minor fire damage from a cornfield fire last fall.  The department hopes to purchase a new 4x4 truck in the future.  The department also hopes to replace, at some point in the future, a 1984 F800 tanker truck.  That truck, formerly a milk truck, has approximately 130,000 miles on the odometer.  They also hope to refurbish a 1988 F800 pumper truck with a new water tank.
Certification and training is also a priority for the department in order to meet state mandates that will take effect in July 2010.  The mandated training is provided at no cost however there is a $50 per person testing fee.

New safety vests are also necessary due to a new Department of Transportation requirement for personnel working incidents along highways.  That requirement mandates a specific amount of reflective material in square inches per traffic flow in miles per hour.  The current turnout gear does not meet the new ruling.

Other items on the budget included expenses for communications equipment repair and upkeep, state mandated computer technology requirements, testing of self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) equipment, CPR certification fees, hepatitis shots for three new firemen and a grant writing fee.  In the latter, Chief Kurovski hopes the fee for a grant writer will produce grants to help pay a significant percentage of specific equipment and repairs.

Also at the meeting, the city council and the Victor area fire district township trustees agreed to keep the fire department property tax levy at 40.5 cents per one thousand dollars of valuation for the coming fiscal year.  In addition to tax money, some department maintenance expenses are provided through fund-raising efforts.

The total 2008 budget for the department is $16,811. At this time, the Victor Fire Department is well prepared to handle current emergencies as they may occur.  The department is also on track to manage future changes in requirements and future community needs.

The Victor City Council will next meet at City Hall on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m.




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