By Pat Jenkins The Dispatch Graham Fire and Rescue, facing the possibility of a second rejection by voters of a levy, will go ahead with closures of fire stations and other reduced service because of budget shortages. The cutbacks, which district officials had said previously were being considered, were approved by the district's commissioners Sept. 10 and were to begin taking effect immediately. They include: " Nine firefighters/paramedics on duty daily instead of the previous 11. " Closure of the Thrift fire station, which already wasn't being staffed, and part-time closures of the Frederickson and Benston stations. " Reduction of paramedic-staffed advanced life support transport units from three to two daily. " Single-unit responses to all basic life support calls. " Non-priority calls will wait for an available unit. " No more participation in school and public events that impact daily staffing. " Elimination of response to burn complaints and non-hazardous incidents. The district "has cut everything possible to reduce cost without impacting service delivery and can no longer sustain the current level of service," so the changes are required to balance the budget, said fire chief Ryan Baskett. The "very lean" staffing means response times will be longer, he added. The district, which gets its funding from property taxes, has experienced a decrease of more than 20 percent in assessed valuation of property in excess and a 14 percent increase in calls for help since 2008. When voters defeated a four-year, $2.75 million-per-year maintenance and operations levy in August, more cost-cutting became necessary, officials said. The commissioners have put the measure back on the ballot for the general election in November, hoping that voters will give it the 60 percent approval necessary for it to pass. The levy fell short at 58.5 percent the first time. If it passes in voting that begins in mid-October, the district plans to hire more firefighters and paradmedics and staff all fire stations 24 hours a day. Graham Fire serves a population of about 61,000 people and answers an average of 16 calls per day (approximately 6,000 per year) "with very limited resources," Baskett said. In recent online comments to The Dispatch, district residents have expressed concern about service reductions and support of the levy proposal. "Here's hoping you and your loved ones don't need any help for a fire or injury," one commenter wrote. Another, in reference to the ballot measure, wrote, "I am not normally a fan of levies. However, after looking at the facts, I am in full support. The staff, firefighters and commissioners have been agonizing over the economic crises for the last year or two and approaching from every angle." Voters in the district are being asked to approve $11 million in property taxes spread over four years. As an example of what property owners would pay, the levy would assess $150 per year on a home valued at $250,000. The district serves an area of 70 square miles and has 53 career firefighters.
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