MONROE - The City of Monroe Public Safety Committee believes it is time to ask surrounding townships how they could help the city recoup some of its rural fire call expenses.
"What we are charging townships for fire coverage is way too low," Alderman Paul Hannes said.
Fire calls outside the city limits account for about 20 percent of Monroe's fire department costs, but the townships' contracts with the city for fire protection covers only about 6 percent, according to the departments' five-year collection of fire calls, expenses, populations and other information.
Monroe Fire Department covers the Towns of Monroe and Clarno, and half of the Town of Sylvester.
Hannes said he would like to see the townships cover 20 to 25 percent of the department's budget.
Fire Chief Daryl Rausch said city taxpayers are subsidizing rural fire protection; however, he is not looking for townships to take up to 20 to 25 percent of the budget.
He is recommending an annual fee to cover some of the fixed cost of standby, keeping the equipment and personnel in a state of readiness.
That cost could be $10,000 to $20,000 per township.
"If we didn't cover townships, we would still have 35 percent of the budget in fixed costs, which we call standby fee," Rausch said.
Rural calls make up about 35 percent of the department's calls.
Most of the population growth is taking place just outside the city limits, and large homes are having to be treated like commercial fires, Rausch said.
Without covering rural calls, the department could reduce costs by 15 to 20 percent, and reduce the department by 10 members, he added.
Rausch did not favor raising the hourly fee to property owners.
"Insurance companies pay only about $500 on a fire call, and some companies are refusing to pay that," he said.
Monroe Fire Department charges for man-hours on each rural fire call, which normally are passed on by townships to residents.
"The fairest way is an annual fee," Rausch said.
The Public Safety Committee did not make a specific recommendation for how to adjust the rural fees.
"Let's see which is more acceptable to them (towns)," said Charles Koch, committee chairman.
Rausch will discuss the issue at a meeting of Monroe Rural Fire District at 7 p.m., July 6, at the Monroe Fire Department.
Rausch already is investigating how to cut unnecessary responses to rural areas for motor vehicle accidents without injuries, reduce the number of response vehicles called out, and adjust countywide protocol for emergency call-outs.
The City of Monroe Fire Department is part of MABAS, Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, which does not charge its partner members for calls for mutual aid.
"What we are charging townships for fire coverage is way too low," Alderman Paul Hannes said.
Fire calls outside the city limits account for about 20 percent of Monroe's fire department costs, but the townships' contracts with the city for fire protection covers only about 6 percent, according to the departments' five-year collection of fire calls, expenses, populations and other information.
Monroe Fire Department covers the Towns of Monroe and Clarno, and half of the Town of Sylvester.
Hannes said he would like to see the townships cover 20 to 25 percent of the department's budget.
Fire Chief Daryl Rausch said city taxpayers are subsidizing rural fire protection; however, he is not looking for townships to take up to 20 to 25 percent of the budget.
He is recommending an annual fee to cover some of the fixed cost of standby, keeping the equipment and personnel in a state of readiness.
That cost could be $10,000 to $20,000 per township.
"If we didn't cover townships, we would still have 35 percent of the budget in fixed costs, which we call standby fee," Rausch said.
Rural calls make up about 35 percent of the department's calls.
Most of the population growth is taking place just outside the city limits, and large homes are having to be treated like commercial fires, Rausch said.
Without covering rural calls, the department could reduce costs by 15 to 20 percent, and reduce the department by 10 members, he added.
Rausch did not favor raising the hourly fee to property owners.
"Insurance companies pay only about $500 on a fire call, and some companies are refusing to pay that," he said.
Monroe Fire Department charges for man-hours on each rural fire call, which normally are passed on by townships to residents.
"The fairest way is an annual fee," Rausch said.
The Public Safety Committee did not make a specific recommendation for how to adjust the rural fees.
"Let's see which is more acceptable to them (towns)," said Charles Koch, committee chairman.
Rausch will discuss the issue at a meeting of Monroe Rural Fire District at 7 p.m., July 6, at the Monroe Fire Department.
Rausch already is investigating how to cut unnecessary responses to rural areas for motor vehicle accidents without injuries, reduce the number of response vehicles called out, and adjust countywide protocol for emergency call-outs.
The City of Monroe Fire Department is part of MABAS, Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, which does not charge its partner members for calls for mutual aid.