Excerpts from the DailyChronicle.com:
DeKalb County's ten rural fire departments have enjoyed free dispatching services provided by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office’s Communications Division ever since the establishment of the 911 system. However, this longstanding arrangement is now coming to an end. For months, Sheriff Roger Scott and other county officials have been hammering out a new fee structure for these smaller departments.
Cortland and Kirkland are the only ones yet to commit to paying the new fees, though some, like longtime Shabbona Fire Chief Frank Ottengheime, aren't too pleased about it.
"We pay taxes, we pay county taxes, we pay on our phone bills, we pay on our cellular phone bills," Ottengheime, who has served Shabbona's all-volunteer department for 40 years, stated. "I don't know how many times we can be taxed for the same service."
"Our feeling is that it’s an essential service, it should be supplied," he continued.
Despite the county cutting costs to balance its budget, Scott emphasized that this wasn't the primary reason behind the shift. Instead, it was rural police departments that approached the county suggesting fire departments contribute financially.
"Rural police departments have been paying for years, and they felt the fire departments should help reduce their costs," Scott explained. "This idea was brought before the County Board’s Law and Justice Committee back in 2015, and they worked on a revised plan that included the fire departments."
According to county documents, rural fire agencies will be charged approximately $26,000 for services ending June 30, rising to around $30,000 by 2021. The county’s eight rural police departments—Cortland, Hinckley, Kingston, Kirkland, Malta, Shabbona, Somonauk, and Waterman—are set to pay $162,000 this fiscal year.
The proposed fees may seem small, but they add another layer of financial strain to already struggling volunteer fire departments. The Shabbona fire board recently agreed to cover the $1,900 fee for dispatching services, which will increase annually by 3% to 4% until 2021.
When distributed among homeowners, the dispatch fee amounts to between 14 cents and $2 per $100,000 in assessed value, based on county records. Shabbona’s fire district encompasses roughly 400 homes.
Yet, this fee is just one more demand on volunteer fire departments already grappling with significant challenges. Volunteer firefighters in Shabbona earn $8.50 an hour, while paramedics make $12.50 an hour. As the part-time chief, Ottengheime receives $3,000 annually.
"No one's getting rich fighting these fires," Ottengheime remarked. "A guy gets $10 to get up at 3 a.m.; they're not in it to make money."
The growing demands for ambulance training and operations are making it harder to sustain a volunteer ambulance service. With tax caps limiting what rural fire districts can collect, introducing new fees impacts the equipment and training a fire agency can afford, Ottengheime noted.
Scott mentioned that various formulas were considered as the sheriff’s office sought fairness. Increases in fees mirrored rising labor costs tied to union contracts. Still, Sheriff Scott pointed out that the service has always been voluntary.
"Fire dispatching isn't a mandated duty of the sheriff’s office," he said. "It’s an additional responsibility, not something required by law."
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office handles dispatching for most rural fire departments. Fees will rise annually by 3.4% to 4.1% until June 30, 2021.
Cortland $4,300
Hinckley $2,750
Kirkland $3,400
Lee $450
Leland $1,450
Malta $2,350
Paw Paw $200
Shabbona $1,900
Somonauk $5,950
Waterman $2,400
Source: DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office
Thanks, Dan.
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