Active membership, Blanchard Creek agreement discussed

POTOMAC - The Greenough-Potomac Fire Board discussed the Active Member Training and Attendance Standards Policy and received an update on the Blanchard Creek Property at their Nov. 2 meeting.

Chair Scott Gordon presented the board with proposed minimum standards for volunteers to remain active members of the department. This was the second reading of the policy that the Board is scheduled to approve at the December meeting.

In the proposed policy, active membership includes attending and participating in approximately 40 hours of annual active service. Active service includes a combination of training and call response. Active members will be issued a standard set of gear that they are responsible to maintain in serviceable condition. If there are any issues, it is their responsibility to report the issues to the chief.

Those unable to maintain these standards can continue to serve as inactive reserve members. They must return all equipment upon request of the Chief to ensure availability of equipment for active members. They also can be commandeered to serve as the need arises.

Fire Chief Ryan Hall asked the board if they could add some minimum training requirements including CPR, stop the bleed training and pumps. For those with a desire and the physical ability, they would offer wildland and Fire Fighter 1 training.

While the board agreed that the training is important, they felt it should be outlined in a separate Training Standard Operating Procedure. Having more SOPs and policies that are finite would allow the board to rapidly adapt as needed. They will discuss training requirements at future meetings.

Gordon said he met with the Missoula County Attorney regarding the Blanchard Creek property. It is the County Attorney’s opinion at this time that the Department has no obligation to build a firehouse on their property in the proposed Clearwater Meadows Ranch subdivision near Blanchard Creek as stated in the Warranty Deed from August 2008.

The Greenough-Potomac Volunteer Fire Department Board of Trustees and Developer John Richards signed the original agreement Sept. 4, 2007. The agreement stated that the Department would exchange their property on Sperry Grade for at least an acre and a half lot within the Clearwater Meadows Ranch subdivision based on 11 conditions.

Gordon said the original property agreement was transferred without fulfillment of six of the conditions including: Power and phone installed; perc tests completed; a well drilled with a minimum output of 10 gallons per minute; underground 20,000 gallon storage unit installed; dry hydrant installed in Blanchard Creek and free and clear deed to the property provided to the Fire Department.

The Warranty Deed restricts the property to only being used for constructing a fire department facility or related activity on the property. Gordon said it was the opinion of the county attorney that they could petition the courts to remove the deed restriction. If the restriction was removed, then the Department could use the property however they wished.

The board unanimously voted to ask the county attorney to look into removing the deed restriction on the property.

Because they are still a fee service area, they need to speak to Missoula County’s fee committee to see what their options are for assessing the properties serviced by the Blanchard Creek properties.

The board agreed to research why the Fire Department changed from a Rural Fire District to a fee service area in 1993. They will be reaching out to previous board members to learn more about the history to better understand their options.

During the Chief’s report, Hall reported they have had a very busy month. They responded to five wildland fires in a two-week period. Most were due to hunter fires that were left unattended. They also responded for an escaped pile burn Sunday, Oct. 31 that burned 0.2 acre.

They responded to several medical calls this past month. This included responding to three of their five COVID calls since the start of the pandemic.

Hall also discussed the fuel spill on Highway 200 that the volunteers were on from around 3 – 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30. Around 400-450 gallons of jet fuel spilled onto the roadway. GPFVD worked with Missoula Rural Hazmat Team and closed Highway 200 until they were able to get sand and dirt to contain the spill. One lane of Highway 200 opened around 8:30 p.m. Both lanes were opened with a 35 mile per hour speed zone around 11 p.m. Saturday night.

Hall said he has been in communication with Disaster & Emergency Services in Missoula County. He is hoping to set up a meeting with all agencies involved to outline expectations and roles on a large incident on a state highway.

The board agreed that expecting volunteers to be out directing traffic for eight or nine hours is not reasonable. They need to figure out a plan with other agencies so that does not happen again.

In other business, the board agreed to reschedule their volunteer appreciation dinner and recognition night planned for January to the spring when it can be held outside.

The next Fire Board meeting is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Station 1 on Potomac Road.