Fire opt-out rationale given

Custer County volunteer fire departments are on borrowed time—literally and figuratively.
That was the message delivered at a special March 9 public meeting held to allow the public to hear what local firefighters say are the reasons for a proposed tax opt-out that will be on the June ballot. If approved, the opt-out will allow the county to opt out of its current fire fund tax levy to raise more funds for county fire departments that are not already within a taxing district.
Hamstrung by aging equipment, rising costs and dwindling budgets, county fire departments hope voters will see fit to pay more in taxes to ensure fire departments keep their doors open.
“We have great departments in the county, and a great volunteer organization behind it,” said Klinton Rittberger, Fairburn Volunteer Fire Department chief and chairman of the Custer County Fire Advisory Board. Rittberger, along with Fairburn department Cpt. Shannon Rittberger, led the meeting.
The Fairburn department, along with the Battle Creek Fire Department (Hermosa and part Keystone) are both already in taxing districts and do not stand to gain any additional funding from an opt- out. The departments in Custer, Folsom, Pringle, Argyle, Custer Highlands and Buffalo Gap would all receive additional funding if the opt-out is approved by voters.
A PowerPoint presentation at the meeting showed the current fire levy, assessed 2025 and payable in 2026 as being .199, generating $348,913 in tax revenue. However, of that money some goes to fixed costs, meaning there is around $292,000 distributed between the departments.
Presently, a $400,000 property would pay around $79 for the fire fund levy per year. If approved, the combined levy would be .3815—lower than the previously reported .395—which would raise $668,913 in funds and cost $150 annually in property taxes on a $400,000 home.
Those additional funds would be split between the six non-district departments, with Custer receiving 55 percent of the money, and the other five departments receiving 9 percent. Custer would receive the bulk of the money because it receives the most calls, has the largest protection area and protects the largest swath of assessed value in the county between the City of Custer and its protection area outside of the city.
If the money were divided by percentage of the tax base, the Custer department would receive 72 percent of the money, with the men saying Custer’s department has long subsidized the other departments.
Shannon Rittberger said the average age of equipment for the departments included 22 years for wildland brush trucks, 32 years for structure trucks and 26 years for water tenders.
Even used smaller brush trucks cost around  $150,000 to $175,000, while larger structure trucks run around $800,000. And with some departments operating on a budget of around $30,000, replacing older vehicles is next to impossible. If you start with a vehicle that is 20 years old and have the ideal fleet of four vehicles, even getting a new one every five years means trucks are pushing 50 years old by the time the cycle comes back around.
There is also the rising cost of gear, as the two men said it is $5,000 to $6,000 for fire protection gear for one firefighter, while a breathing apparatus is around the same cost. It can be as much as $10,000 to outfit a structure-certified firefighter.
Some departments are even wearing outdated equipment, Shannon Rittberger said. 
If the opt-out—which would be four years for $320,000 each year—is approved, each fire department will have to do a line item budget to report how the extra money will be spent and will not be allowed to stockpile the money.
An attendee of the meeting asked what happens after the fourth year, with the Rittbergers answering the opt-out could be renewed but it is hoped, if not expected, fire districts will be sorted out by then, and those will provide funding for the departments. 
“We don’t think we can maintain the departments we have with the budgets we’re having now,” Shannon Rittberger said.
“They’re keeping the lights on,” Klinton Rittberger said of some of the departments, pointing to Buffalo Gap’s budget of $28,000 and Folsom’s of $31,000.
Bob Morgan, Jr. of the Pringle Volunteer Fire Department said the departments used to get more money from grants, but many of those are drying up.
“We can’t continue to rely on something that is not guaranteed,” Klinton Rittberger added.
It was said someone who had the fire department show up for a fire at their home received a bill, but it was answered the fire departments do not bill for services, but rather, give letters that ask if the person who received the service would seek funds from their insurance for the department that responded. The person is not “chased down” for money.
Another in the audience asked if the requested opt-out is enough and wondered why the departments would not seek more. It was generally agreed upon that the departments have tried to find a number that is palatable to the public.
Should the opt-out fail the Custer County Commission could still foist it on taxpayers, but has not given an indication it would do so. It was learned at the meeting that fire protection is not an essential service in the state, with SDCL 7-18-23 saying counties “may” provide protection, but not insisting it shall.
A question was asked about fire departments sending their trucks and firefighters out of the area to make money, which some departments do, but Shannon Rittberger said they cannot always depend on volunteers to go do that, so it is not a guaranteed source of income.
Casey Brazell, chief of the Argyle Volunteer Fire Department, said if things continue the way they are fire departments will likely start closing their doors. It was said if that happens, insurance rates will raise much more than the additional money per year sought through the opt-out.
Another public meeting on the opt-out will be held in the future.