Cook County fire departments will now have the benefit of tax dollars from properties they have always served but that were previously outside their fire districts. On Tuesday, June 9, 2009, the county board approved a request to officially extend county fire service to cover all private properties within the county.
People not formerly taxed will now share the fire tax levy that is included in the county budget. This would mean that, if the levy did not increase, those who have been paying for fire services already would pay less. The new boundaries will not affect any properties in the Schroeder and Tofte fire districts.
The decision to extend fire districts will result in taxing property owners who were previously receiving services without paying for them. Firefighter Betsy Zavoral said, “We always respond, no matter what.” According to Maple Hill Fire Department Representative Dick Parker, the new boundaries will also help law enforcement know which department to call out when services are requested.
Fire departments will do their best to respond to all calls, but they may not be able to access some properties, such as cabins along unplowed roads in the wintertime. Fire trucks can also not access properties with inadequate driveways or too much vegetation in the way. “We make our best effort to get there,” said Grand Marais Fire Chief Ben Silence, “but obviously, if we can’t get there, we can’t get there.”
The Cook County Firewise program is available to help property owners clear away fire hazards and become more accessible to firefighting equipment. Information on Firewise can be found on the Cook County website at www.boreal.org/fireinfo/.
Expansion of fire district boundaries will not decrease the cost of fire insurance for homeowners, which is based partly on distance and time from the nearest fire hall.
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