County hears fire agreement proposal from Goose Creek | Local News | Our Gazette

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County hears fire agreement proposal from Goose Creek

Published Wednesday, June 22, 2011 10:14 AM

By Dan Brown
The Gazette

With the ever-growing population in Berkeley County stretching municipal fire protection services to their limits, and with decreasing state funds, the practice of voluntary aid agreements between various municipalities is becoming a trend.

The latest to propose such an agreement is the city of Goose Creek, to Berkeley County.

Goose Creek Mayor Michael Heitzler appeared before Berkeley County Council during council’s regular meeting last week in Moncks Corner. Heitzler offered the city’s fire protection services for a number of homes within close proximity to Goose Creek fire stations.

At question specifically are two homes located on Terrier and Foxhunt Roads, currently serviced by the Goose Creek Rural Fire District.

“We can provide the service more efficiently given that the city fire station is located about a mile from these homes,” he said, pointing out that the Goose Creek Rural Fire Station was located more than five miles away. “You have eight minutes to get on site and render aid and after that it’s too late.”

What prompted the proposal, according to the mayor, was that council member Bob Call asked that Goose Creek consider an agreement for these two homes located in Call’s council district.

“We should contract where it’s mutually beneficial,” Heitzler said. “And why not? The bottom line is it’s not going to cost the property owner anymore than what he’s paying now.”

The various Rural Fire Districts around Berkeley County get about $70 per home in fees for fire protection services, and any switch would be a vanilla switch for the taxpayer.

“He’s still paying the $70 fee,” Heitzler said. “The only difference would be on where that fee gets allocated, to the city or the Rural Fire District.”

According to Berkeley County Supervisor Dan Davis, he’s not sure such an agreement would be legal.

“It’s a little more complicated as it involves funds the rural districts maybe have used to secure federal loans,” he said. “Some federal loan programs are based on the number of homes in a particular rural fire district. Those homes could be contractually locked in to federal loans and to take those homes away from a rural fire department could jeopardize their loan status.”

In a situation where a significant number of homes could be included in such an agreement, the impact on the rural fire district could be significant. “That kind of loss in funds could severely impact a rural district’s budget,” Davis said.

Like the Crowfield community located off Highway 176 in Goose Creek. Out of more than 7,000 homes that are located within the city limits of Goose Creek, 22 homes chose not to be annexed into the city limits and are thus serviced by a rural fire district.

“The City of Goose Creek has two fire stations located in Crowfield that are closer to those 22 homes than the rural district’s station,” Heitzler said. “I’m merely asking that they contract with the city to provide service to these homes not protected.”

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of more agreements like this, besides money, is the passage of time. The supervisor said that much of the service agreement paperwork involving these rural fire districts could be more than 50 years old.

“We’re doing the research right now to see how these rural fire department service agreements are written up,” he said. “The biggest problem is even finding these documents because they are so old.”

Heitzler maintained that the current agreements in place were forged more than two generations ago and are outdated.

“This is an anachronistic policy and an anachronistic public service system that has devolved to this state over time,” he said. “Given today’s economic times and the area’s rapid growth this is a situation that will not go away quietly or easily.

“We need to do a much better job in providing mutual fire protection and prevention and EMS service.”

Heitzler is aware that taking homes away from the rural fire districts would be an unpopular move but the mayor added it’s about providing quality fire protection services for everyone in Berkeley County.

“It takes a courageous person to run for political office,” Heitzler said during his proposal to council. “Somebody with county is going to have to be courageous enough to take a stance about fire service.”

Davis said the county is looking into all aspects of the Goose Creek proposal: “We are in the process of gathering information to give to council so they can make an informed decision.”

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