Latest news with #firedept
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pierce County fire agency with ‘brownouts,' firefighter vacancies seeks funding
After months of temporary station closures, staff vacancies and contentious Q&As, the Key Peninsula Fire Department is again asking voters to pass a ballot measure that would reverse the effects of a failed levy last year. The measure on the Aug. 5 ballot would raise property taxes for residents back up to 50 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value in 2026, per the Pierce County Voters' Pamphlet. Voters approved that rate in 2019, but property tax laws have caused that rate to drop to 32 cents per $1,000 in assessed value, Fire Chief Nick Swinhart said in a video about the measure posted on the fire district's website. The measure is called a 'levy lid lift' because it allows jurisdictions to lift the 1% cap on how much more property tax revenue they can collect each year. The 1% cap, mandated by the state, automatically drives down the levy rate each year as property values increase, to ensure that the jurisdiction doesn't collect over 1% more than it collected in the previous year. It requires a simple majority to pass. If it does, a home valued at $500,000 will pay $250 for the year — an increase of $87.50 from the current rate — or a total of $20.83 per month, per month, according to a chart released by the fire department on social media. Swinhart said in the video that Key Peninsula Fire crews responded to 2,864 calls last year, over 70% of which 'were medical emergencies, heart attacks, strokes, accidents or serious falls.' EMS levy funding goes toward these calls, he said. The levy 'supports the paramedics and EMTs who respond to your calls, the ambulances that they drive to the calls, and the equipment that they use,' he explained. In November 2024, voters turned down a maintenance and operations (M&O) levy that had been approved in each four-year cycle since 2012, The News Tribune reported. In public meetings and town halls following the vote, some residents said they had concerns about the fire department's fiscal management and transparency after the purchase of three parcels in Key Center in 2021. The fire department bought the properties with a low-interest loan rather than drawing on funds from their budget, according to The News Tribune's reporting. The resulting loss of $800,000 from the failed M&O levy required the department to 'tighten (their) belts,' department spokesperson Anne Nesbit told The News Tribune. Following the levy failure, a January update from Swinhart posted on the agency's website noted that they left a vacant firefighter position open and reduced their daily minimum staffing from seven to five personnel, which allowed them to save on overtime costs but forced them to occasionally close one of their three staffed stations on days when they didn't have enough firefighters to work shifts. The Key Peninsula Firefighters Facebook account posted announcements of these temporary closures, or 'brownouts,' of the Longbranch station in January, February, April and May. If the EMS levy passes, the department will be able to eliminate those brownouts because they'll be able to restore their minimum daily staffing to seven, Nesbit said. They'll also be able to fill four vacant firefighter positions, which she wrote in a text message will bring their total number of firefighters to 33. At their next meeting on July 22, the Board of Fire Commissioners will consider a resolution to run the EMS levy on the November ballot, in case it doesn't pass in the August primary. If it passes in August, the fire district will 'pull it from the Pierce County docket to run in November,' she said. Five candidates for the district's Board of Fire Commissioners are also running in the Aug. 5 primary. The top two candidates will advance to the Nov. 4 general election. Whoever wins the general election will replace Cambria Queen, who was selected by the board in 2024 to fill a vacancy following a commissioner's resignation, according to the fire district website. Several candidates referenced fire district staffing, budgeting or transparency with taxpayer funds in their statements submitted for the Pierce County Voters' Pamphlet. One candidate, Jennifer Dow, did not submit any information for the voters' pamphlet. 'I will maintain the highest level of integrity the public deserves and open up transparency to what our tax dollars are being used for,' Gretchen Schneider, who has served 10 years as a paramedic, wrote. She also believes that commissioners need to 'work alongside the fire department's senior staff, and union to make significant reductions in fire/medical response times while still maintaining the safety and wellness of our first responders.' Colleen Marie Mullen, a former fire captain serving 22 years in the Minneapolis Fire Department and a U.S. Navy veteran medic, wrote she is 'committed to reducing response times and ensuring our fire stations are adequately staffed to protect and serve effectively.' She also hopes 'to introduce innovative water rescue and high-angle rescue programs, enhancing the safety and preparedness of our department,' she wrote. 'This vital role demands difficult financial decisions regarding staffing, equipment, facilities, and growth – a tall task with limited revenue,' Ed Bressette, Jr., wrote. After 30 years of working for the YMCA, including seven as association facility director, he would draw on 'extensive experience overseeing maintenance, capital projects, budgets, and strategic long-term planning,' he continued. The News Tribune also reached out to all five candidates for further comment. Only one candidate, Josh Johnson, responded in an email by Friday evening. He wrote that he is 'running to restore public trust in (the) fire district,' and anticipated the need to manage funds from the EMS levy if passed, which he believed likely. His priorities include rebuilding the fire district's volunteer program, increasing transparency around budget decisions, better planning ahead for funding shortfalls and looking for ways to 'reduce costs without compromising core services.' Solve the daily Crossword
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Boy, 7, fighting for life after car ploughs into trampoline in garden before going airborne and smashing into house
A BOY is fighting for his life after a car ploughed into a garden trampoline he was playing on before launching into the air and smashing into a barn. The terrifying crash happened in a quiet German town when a Volvo SUV veered off the road, tore through two hedges and hit the child with full force. 2 2 The two-ton vehicle then went airborne and crashed into the roof and wall of a nearby barn — coming to rest three metres off the ground, embedded in the structure. Cops in the Lower Saxony town of Bohmte said the seven-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries. There were five people inside the car, including three children aged 11, 12, and 13, Bild reports. A 43-year-old female passenger was seriously injured, while the others sustained minor injuries. Emergency services swarmed the scene after Sunday's horror crash. 'We were alerted around 8pm to an accident with several people trapped,' a fire department spokesperson confirmed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pierce County fire agency with ‘brownouts,' firefighter vacancies seeks funding
After months of temporary station closures, staff vacancies and contentious Q&As, the Key Peninsula Fire Department is again asking voters to pass a ballot measure that would reverse the effects of a failed levy last year. The measure on the Aug. 5 ballot would raise property taxes for residents back up to 50 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value in 2026, per the Pierce County Voters' Pamphlet. Voters approved that rate in 2019, but property tax laws have caused that rate to drop to 32 cents per $1,000 in assessed value, Fire Chief Nick Swinhart said in a video about the measure posted on the fire district's website. The measure is called a 'levy lid lift' because it allows jurisdictions to lift the 1% cap on how much more property tax revenue they can collect each year. The 1% cap, mandated by the state, automatically drives down the levy rate each year as property values increase, to ensure that the jurisdiction doesn't collect over 1% more than it collected in the previous year. It requires a simple majority to pass. If it does, a home valued at $500,000 will pay $250 for the year — an increase of $87.50 from the current rate — or a total of $20.83 per month, per month, according to a chart released by the fire department on social media. Swinhart said in the video that Key Peninsula Fire crews responded to 2,864 calls last year, over 70% of which 'were medical emergencies, heart attacks, strokes, accidents or serious falls.' EMS levy funding goes toward these calls, he said. The levy 'supports the paramedics and EMTs who respond to your calls, the ambulances that they drive to the calls, and the equipment that they use,' he explained. In November 2024, voters turned down a maintenance and operations (M&O) levy that had been approved in each four-year cycle since 2012, The News Tribune reported. In public meetings and town halls following the vote, some residents said they had concerns about the fire department's fiscal management and transparency after the purchase of three parcels in Key Center in 2021. The fire department bought the properties with a low-interest loan rather than drawing on funds from their budget, according to The News Tribune's reporting. The resulting loss of $800,000 from the failed M&O levy required the department to 'tighten (their) belts,' department spokesperson Anne Nesbit told The News Tribune. Following the levy failure, a January update from Swinhart posted on the agency's website noted that they left a vacant firefighter position open and reduced their daily minimum staffing from seven to five personnel, which allowed them to save on overtime costs but forced them to occasionally close one of their three staffed stations on days when they didn't have enough firefighters to work shifts. The Key Peninsula Firefighters Facebook account posted announcements of these temporary closures, or 'brownouts,' of the Longbranch station in January, February, April and May. If the EMS levy passes, the department will be able to eliminate those brownouts because they'll be able to restore their minimum daily staffing to seven, Nesbit said. They'll also be able to fill four vacant firefighter positions, which she wrote in a text message will bring their total number of firefighters to 33. At their next meeting on July 22, the Board of Fire Commissioners will consider a resolution to run the EMS levy on the November ballot, in case it doesn't pass in the August primary. If it passes in August, the fire district will 'pull it from the Pierce County docket to run in November,' she said. Five candidates for the district's Board of Fire Commissioners are also running in the Aug. 5 primary. The top two candidates will advance to the Nov. 4 general election. Whoever wins the general election will replace Cambria Queen, who was selected by the board in 2024 to fill a vacancy following a commissioner's resignation, according to the fire district website. Several candidates referenced fire district staffing, budgeting or transparency with taxpayer funds in their statements submitted for the Pierce County Voters' Pamphlet. One candidate, Jennifer Dow, did not submit any information for the voters' pamphlet. 'I will maintain the highest level of integrity the public deserves and open up transparency to what our tax dollars are being used for,' Gretchen Schneider, who has served 10 years as a paramedic, wrote. She also believes that commissioners need to 'work alongside the fire department's senior staff, and union to make significant reductions in fire/medical response times while still maintaining the safety and wellness of our first responders.' Colleen Marie Mullen, a former fire captain serving 22 years in the Minneapolis Fire Department and a U.S. Navy veteran medic, wrote she is 'committed to reducing response times and ensuring our fire stations are adequately staffed to protect and serve effectively.' She also hopes 'to introduce innovative water rescue and high-angle rescue programs, enhancing the safety and preparedness of our department,' she wrote. 'This vital role demands difficult financial decisions regarding staffing, equipment, facilities, and growth – a tall task with limited revenue,' Ed Bressette, Jr., wrote. After 30 years of working for the YMCA, including seven as association facility director, he would draw on 'extensive experience overseeing maintenance, capital projects, budgets, and strategic long-term planning,' he continued. The News Tribune also reached out to all five candidates for further comment. Only one candidate, Josh Johnson, responded in an email by Friday evening. He wrote that he is 'running to restore public trust in (the) fire district,' and anticipated the need to manage funds from the EMS levy if passed, which he believed likely. His priorities include rebuilding the fire district's volunteer program, increasing transparency around budget decisions, better planning ahead for funding shortfalls and looking for ways to 'reduce costs without compromising core services.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Homeowner stunned after discovering dangerous issue with recent HOA project: 'The bedroom can't be used'
A homeowner posted photos on Reddit of a window in their home that their HOA blocked when it installed a rain gutter during an exterior refurbishment project. The homeowner was unable to open the window and expressed safety concerns. "The bedroom can't be used," they said in their original post. The original poster reported that two different subcontractors who were hired did not communicate properly, thus blocking the outward-opening window. The homeowner attempted to work with their HOA to resolve the issue, but the HOA was not being cooperative and stated it could not move the gutter, so the OP expressed plans to contact the fire department since they believe it to be a fire code violation. HOAs are frequently complained about with regard to being overly controlling or neglecting homeowner needs, such as this incident. Sometimes, HOA oversight or neglect can affect homeowners by increasing utility bills, worsening their quality of life, destroying property or yards, or putting their safety at risk, as in the case of the OP. All of this can have environmental consequences in the form of wasted resources, excessive pollution, or impact on wildlife and the balance of local ecosystems. HOAs have also been known to prevent homeowners from making eco-friendly changes to their homes or yards, such as installing solar panels, allowing the charging of electric vehicles, and growing native plants. HOA issues can often be difficult to resolve, so TCD offers an HOA guide as a resource to learn how you might change established rules, particularly as they pertain to eco-friendly home modifications. Some homeowners have successfully battled their HOAs to make environmentally friendly updates to their homes. The OP said they are trying to be understanding about their window being blocked but that, as time passes, it is becoming more difficult to do so, as they don't feel safe using the room without access to an emergency escape. Fellow Redditors shared in the frustration and offered suggestions on how to handle the issue. "Remove the gutter and tell them to fix the issue," one commenter declared. "If they c(o)me after you then you did it for your safety and fire code." "HOAs shouldn't exist to the degree that they do," another shared. "You should … know your rights to be able to push back when they … cross legal lines," one supportive Redditor said. Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden? Yes Only if it impacts your neighbors Depends on what you're growing Heck no Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Irish Times
At least 28 injured as vehicle drives into crowd in Los Angeles
At least 28 people were injured when a vehicle drove into a crowd on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles in the early hours of Saturday morning, the city's fire department said. At least three people were in a critical condition and six others were seriously injured, the alert said. Videos posted on X showed roads being sealed off and patients being taken away in ambulances. Authorities gave no immediate details on the cause of the incident or the identity of the driver. The location was near a music venue, CNN reported. The incident happened just before 2am local time (10am Irish time), the fire department said. - Reuters (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025
