Ammon considering joining Bonneville County Fire District
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AMMON — After the city announced on its Facebook page Monday that it is considering joining the Bonneville County Fire District, many of you have reached out to us with concerns, including why city leaders are discussing it now, who will pay the firefighters and whether joining the fire district would slow down response times.
“We’ve talked about it in years past,” Ammon Mayor Sean Coletti told EastIdahoNews.com “We saw that the current financial situation is that the cost of Ammon’s fire department per hundred thousand taxable value … is virtually the same as it would be if the fire district took over the city of Ammon. Almost exactly the same cost.”
Coletti said Ammon could gain the benefits of having emergency fire services run by the fire district without raising taxes.
“You’re always going to get better service and more efficient service when you break down jurisdictional boundaries and when you share resources,” Coletti said.
However, it’s unclear what will happen with the current contract the Idaho Falls Fire Department has with the Bonneville County Fire District if Ammon joins.
The IFFD’s contract with the county began in 1991. Since then, IFFD firefighters have operated many of the Bonneville County Fire District’s fire trucks and equipment.
IFFD Chief Duane Nelson said the contract is expiring at the end of the fiscal year in September. He said his department is working to renew its contract with the county.
“If Ammon does join the fire district, to be honest with you, we’re not quite sure what that means or what that will mean in the future,” Nelson said.
He said he has a meeting Friday to figure out what all will happen if Ammon does join the fire district.
“Whatever that looks like, the most important factor for the city of Ammon and for the fire district is really the fire protection and the safety of the citizens,” Nelson said.
Coletti said EMS services for Ammon will stay the same as they are contracted through the Bonneville County Ambulance District. Current Ammon Fire Department firefighters would continue to serve the residents of the city of Ammon and work out of the Ammon fire station.
“We have six full-time firefighters and 36 paid-call firefighters. They’re all going to be a part of the fire district if this happens. Their essential operations will be exactly the same. They would service the city of Ammon. But they would part of a larger operation: the fire district,” Coletti said.
He said they would answer to the fire district commissioners and be paid through the fire district from the money the district receives from Ammon residents, the same money Ammon residents are already paying to the Ammon Fire Department.
Coletti said Ammon would also be represented on the fire district commission.
“Right now, there’s three commissioners. I can’t say for certain, but I think that based on population, there should be five commissioners and two of them should probably be residents of the city of Ammon,” Coletti said.
A decision on whether the city will join the fire district has not been made. Locals can voice the thoughts and concerns at the two upcoming public hearings on the subject.
The first public hearing is May 7 at 7 p.m. at the Ammon City Hall and the second is scheduled for May 21 at 7 p.m., also at the city hall.
The City Council will vote on the matter June 4.