Benton Co. Fire District #1 looks at asking for EMS levy

Benton County Fire District #1 is looking at asking voters to approve a new levy in 2018 due to growth in the area.

Fire Chief Lonnie Click says over the last 10 years, Benton Co. #1 has seen a steady increase in calls or about 2% per year. Officials say that has put a strain on response times to calls and the county has to rely on "mutual aid," which puts a strain on other departments and reduces resources in other communities.

Click said in a press release Wednesday, 90% of all EMS calls received by Benton 1 require patient transportation to area hospitals and those have to be provided by mutual aid partners.

“We’ve grown to the point of needing to provide better service for our people as well as be a good neighbor to other fire agencies around us,” said Chief Click in a statement.

Currently, the department has a emergency services through a fire levy of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which voters renew every six years. The department is looking at asking voters to approve a EMS levy in 2018.

Click says they are also looking at renovating Station 150 to provide sleeping quarters for firefighters, which would improve response times. The department does add they rely on volunteers to keep cost down for taxpayers.

Benton County Fire District 1 includes the communities of South Kennewick, Finley, Rancho Reata and Badger Canyon.