Petition circulating to create Whitefish fire district

The Whitefish Fire Service Area is petitioning to become a fire district to ensure sustainable funding to meet the needs of a growing population. The move also gives residents more direct control over fire protection services.  

DC Haas, executive director of the fire service area said the crux of the situation is, at full staff, the Whitefish Fire Department has six firefighters to cover the over 75 square-mile fire service area plus the city of Whitefish. 

"We need to provide more assistance,” Haas said. “Every department in the valley depends on mutual aid for assistance and it's just getting busier and busier.” 

He said wait times are getting longer for incidents that should not have a wait time. A car accident takes an engine, so when another call comes in and resources are tied up, the department depends on Columbia Falls, Evergreen, Kalispell and West Valley for assistance. 

“Emergency services – you don't think about it until you're having the worst day ever,” Haas said. 

The current flat-rate system would be replaced by a mill levy in the fire district model, which the board says ensures all property owners contribute equitably based on property value. 

“Now we need signatures, and we've got some incredible people in the community that are doing some outreach with their HOAs,” he said.  

Julie Rommel, resident of the fire service area, recently wrote a letter to the Daily Inter Lake regarding the change. 

“The Whitefish Fire Service Area covers 48,000 acres and 3,200 homes, but it’s one of the last remaining fire service areas in Montana still operating on a flat annual fee,” wrote Rommel. “This outdated model leaves us vulnerable, drives up homeowner insurance rates, and puts firefighter safety at risk.” 

For the petition to get on the ballot, signatures representing 40% of the residents and 40% of the property value of the Whitefish Fire Service Area must be secured. Only residents of the fire service area may sign the petition. 

Haas said the next step, after the signatures are collected, is to ask the county commissioners to hold a hearing and vote on the plan. He believes the commissioners will approve the area becoming a district. 

"Last May, I was in the commissioners’ chambers asking for a rate increased from $144 to $180 annually, per structure, and they did grant that but made it clear that it's the residents that need to make this decision, and in order for the residents to make this decision, it needs to be a district," Hass relayed. 

That marked the beginning of the current drive for a fire district. Haas said the goal is for the public to have input on what a rate increases and decide how much to spend for emergency services. 

The fire service area has had a contract with the city of Whitefish for over 40 years. 

“The fire service area and the city of Whitefish Fire Department are working together to make this improvement,” said Whitefish Fire Chief Cole Hadley. “This is going to improve service in that area if they become a district because it will change the way they can levy money, and we can actually move forward with growth where we need to move forward with growth and we’ll work together with them to get that done.” 

Hadley said the city has a good working relationship with the board and that the move to a district will not affect the services provided.  

“We are already the fire department that responds to this area and with the change to a district, it won’t change that response,” he said. “The only thing it can do is potentially improve it.” 

The funding for the fire district from taxes would remain the same as it is now, but how it is collected would be different, Haas said. 

"Right now, it's $180 per structure. When converted, it would be at about a 14.2 mill rate,” he said. “What does that mean? Well, 14.2 mill rate is homes at $1 million would be paying more and homes under $1 million will be paying less. 

“That doesn’t increase our funding, that just converts it to a mill rate,” he added. “Then we have the job of prioritizing expenditures ... and take that to the voters.” 

He said Kalispell hired 12 additional firefighters with a levy last year, West Valley is seeking additional mills, Evergreen has been through the process and Big Mountain initiated a resort tax to help get staffing.  

Although it is too soon to say how much additional funds would be requested, Haas said there is a need for more firefighters, apparatus and stations. 

“I'm very mobile and I'm willing to go meet one or more people at any time to get a signature,” Haas said. “I'll be the guy out there with the clipboard at the farmers’ market.”

Haas can also be found at the Whitefish Fire Service Area Board meetings on the third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m., at Fire Station 22, located at 1345 Hodgson Rd. 

For more information visit whitefishfireservicearea.org.  

For questions, information on how to sign the petition, and media requests, please contact: DC Haas, executive director, Whitefish Fire Service Area Board, at executive.director@whitefishfireservicearea.org or 406-212-5659