Night Transport Stipend Approved; Type III Fire Engine Purchased

SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Rural Fire District Board approved a $60 per trip stipend for patient transports to Missoula, Mont. between the hours of 8 p.m. – 8 a.m. effective Jan. 19. Seeley Lake Fire Chief Bob Vanden Heuvel also informed the board that he took the opportunity to acquire a 1987 Type III fire engine.

The board has been discussing the Quick Response Unit (QRU) night transport stipend since mid-summer. At the July 21, 2015 meeting, the board, excluding members Gary Lewis and Al Rogers who were absent, unanimously approved $75 per volunteer, per transport starting Aug. 1, 2015 pending a letter of approval to pay volunteers from the county attorney.

Upon further research, Chief Vanden Heuvel found out it was typical to provide 20 percent of what a paid Emergency Medical Service (EMS) or firefighter would make in a 24-hour shift. Based on the wages made with the Missoula City and Missoula Rural Fire Districts, Vanden Heuvel said that a $60 per transport per volunteer is 20 percent.

Board members Gary Lewis and Al Rogers both agreed with the stipend but were against applying it retroactively. Vanden Heuvel said it would cost $400 to pay volunteers for night transport for the past three months. At the meeting, no one was able to prove when or if the board approved the stipend retroactively.

The board approved the $60 per volunteer, per transport between 8 p.m. – 8 a.m. starting Jan. 19, 2016. Volunteers, that had their per call reimbursement of $15 withheld because of the past decision to start paying the night time transport stipend, will be reimbursed for the calls they were on.

Vanden Heuvel acquired a Type III fire engine for the department through a state program that offers used equipment to fire districts for the cost of shipping. The Type III is a 1987, 6X6, 1,200 gallon tender with 22,000 miles on it. It was used on an Army base in Pittsburg, Penn.

Vanden Heuvel ran the vehicle identification number to check the engine’s records and talked with the district’s engine mechanic Sean Garner to get his opinion. Everything looked and sounded like a great deal so he spoke with board chair Bonnie Connell about purchasing it. The cost to the district would be $4,000 shipping cost to get the engine delivered. Additional costs were unknown.

Connell contacted vice-chair Bruce Bourne who did not find anything in the policies and procedures that required board approval for the chief to spend the $4,000 to get the vehicle. They told him to go ahead and take it since he had to make the decision or possibly lose the opportunity to the next department down the list.

Vanden Heuvel presented to the board at the meeting that the shipping cost could be made in one season of wildland fire. Type III engines are in high demand for wildland suppression work. This would be a great opportunity for the volunteers to go out on wildfire and make some additional income.

“We need a way to bring in money into the department,” said Vanden Heuvel. “When we bring in money, that helps us buy other stuff. I feel like it is something that needed to be done.”

Members of the board were concerned that the decision was made without board approval. At the December meeting, the board told Vanden Heuvel to pursue more information on the program and asked for a report back. No decision was made granting the purchase of a vehicle through the program.

While questions were raised about the amount of money the chief can spend without board approval, no one was able to point to a decision or policy limiting the chief’s spending decisions.

“We’ve hired him to make decisions within reason and if this is what he thinks needs to be done then he should do it,” said Bourne.

Both Lewis and Rogers questioned how much, in addition to the $4,000 charged for shipping, it will cost to get it set up and usable. This was unknown since the engine just arrived in Missoula.

Lewis also expressed his thought that self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBAs) and turn out gear need to be replaced and that should have taken priority to another Type III engine. “I want our firefighters to be safe,” said Lewis. Bourne recommended adding a discussion about priorities and needs to next month’s agenda.

The next meeting will be Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Fire Hall.