A proposal by the Rural Fire Protection Association to expand a taxing district to provide fire protection to cabins on islands on Rainy Lake will be considered by the Koochiching County Board July 24.
A public hearing on the plan drew about a dozen people on both sides of the proposal Tuesday.
The board is expected to hear back from RFPA representatives July 24 about the firefighting capabilities of the Department of Natural Resources prior to considering a resolution to expand the district.
The RFPA proposal involves expanding the current taxing district to include the approximate 200 cabins on islands. It would call for the cabin owners within the proposed expansion to pay $85 annually for seasonal fire protection.
The RFPA Board proposes purchasing a nearly 20-foot long Lake Assault boat, at a cost of $85,000, which has a water cannon and capabilities to hook up fire hoses.
RFPA began to consider expansion of the district in February 2010 when several Rainy Lake island cabin owners asked the RFPA Board whether it could provide fire protection to their properties.
In August, the RFPA surveyed the known 200 cabin owners. It received 129 responses, with 91 favoring exploration of rural fire protection; 33 opposing the idea; and five indicating they wanted more information.
Results of a follow-up survey by the RFPA presented Tuesday brought 85 responses, with 50 indicating support, 32 opposing the proposal, one “maybe.”
Randy Pozniak, billing agent and financial consultant for RFPA, and Quay Whitbeck, RFPA president, discussed the proposal Tuesday.
Several cabin owners Tuesday expressed concern about the $85 fee that would provide just season fire protection when other RFPA members pay the same amount for year around protection.
Pozniak said the fee was needed to generate funds to provide the service. He estimated the fee charged to cabin owners would provide about $17,000 annually. A preliminary budget for the service is estimated at $12,000 per year, leaving the additional $5,000 to amortize the boat. RFPA fund reserves would be used to purchase the boat and train firefighters. Pozniak noted that the RFPA was unsuccessful in gaining a grant to assist in the costs.
Other cabin owners questioned the response time to fires, wondering if anything would be left to save by the time firefighters arrived. They also questioned how firefighters would be transported to island fires.
Pozniak said logistics have not yet been finalized, but it’s likely that the fire boat would depart for the fire while another boat would transport firefighters.
Other questions involved whether fire protection to the cabins could be provided by the DNR.
Joe Brown, DNR area forest supervisor, Littlefork, told The Journal Wednesday that the DNR’s firefighting activities involve “protecting the resource,” focusing primarily on wildland fires.
“If we were the only ones there and a structure was threatened, we would take whatever actions we could to save the structure, but that responsibility primarily falls under the volunteer fire departments,” said Brown.
Some cabin owners said they don’t expect help fighting fires at their cabins and others said that expanding the fire district would not change the ability to get or the costs involved in insurance.
Many cabins are already equipped with fire pumps and sprinkler systems, which are more effective than a fire boat response could be, several said. Those without pumps should get them, some added.
International Falls City Councilor Gail Rognerud asked what role the city’s fire department would play and encouraged the RFPA to include Falls Fire Chief Jerry Jensen in the discussions.
Pozniak said 911 calls for fires at island cabins would be dispatched by the Sheriff’s Office to the rural fire service and firefighters would be alerted by beepers. Jensen would be included in discussions as the process is developed, he added.
Jim Robb said he supported the idea, but believed the boat should be used for firefighting, not search and rescue, since that’s what cabin owners would be paying for.
Cabin owner Steve Early said he supported the proposal, noting that the main benefit would be protection of the property and saving anything that could be saved, including nearby cabins.
Others who supported the idea said cabin owners should no longer rely on fire protection by the good will of the DNR and Camp Kooch-i-ching, which has assisted in island fires. They said it’s time to pay for the needed service.
Pozniak also responded to other questions, including that undeveloped lots would not be charged the fee and that about 50 people have indicated interest in being trained as island firefighters.
