Support fire district tax hike
On Jan. 12, our St. Charles Countryside Fire District voted to place two questions on the April ballot: to grant authority to issue bonds to construct a station and to increase the tax rate to meet our future emergency medical and fire protection needs.
Our District has 34 square miles with 21,000 residents in 6,600 structures, covering parts of St. Charles, Campton and Wayne townships. We have no fire station, fire truck or ambulance. The district has relied on the St. Charles Fire Department to protect our homes and lives. As the district grew, the ability to reach homes, the expectations of residents and financial resources have changed.
The decision is based on several factors. To just maintain current service and continue to provide our share to the city based on our percentage of calls, the district will have to tap into its reserves. We will not be able to meet our financial obligation in just three years. A survey indicated 83 percent of district respondents believe response times should be seven minutes or less and 90 percent believe we should reduce response time.
Emergency service providers and medical experts agree that faster response is critical to having a chance to save lives and property. A person with cardiac arrest longer than five minutes will have long-term brain damage, and 85 percent die. A home can become engulfed in flames and beyond saving after 10 minutes of a fire starting. Many such homes cannot be saved.
The survey provides a mandate to reduce response times. Current stations cannot accomplish that. The only option is to get closer.
Based on projected costs and operating needs, an increase of about $13 a month on a $350,000 home will go a long way to meeting the needs of our residents.
Our voters now need to decide if they agree with our assessment and solution. I encourage everyone to become educated about the district and the issues we face together. Please visit sccfpd.org. Vote on April 7 so your voice is heard on the future of your emergency services.
Ed Malek
President
St. Charles Countryside Fire Protection District