In response to COVID-19, the Missoula Rural Fire District is canceling the June Car Seat Event. The safety of our community is our primary concern and we hope to resume car seat installations in July. Thank you for your understanding.
Category: Smokescreen Articles
Monthly MRFD Newsletters
Update: Upcoming Resident/Volunteer Testing & Interviews
The Missoula Rural Fire District has scheduled the following dates for Resident/Volunteer Firefighter testing and interviews
June 1st – Volunteer Applications Due by 5:00 pm. Please note, applications are only available from our website and must be submitted via email or mail.
June 4th – Resident Firefighter Work Capacity Test & Interviews, 8:00 am at MRFD Station One
June 5th – Resident Firefighter Work Capacity Test & Interviews, 8:00 am at MRFD Station One
June 30th (Tentative) – Notification of Acceptance Pending Background Check
Volunteer testing and interview dates will be posted at a later time. Due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, these dates are subject to change.
For more information about the Work Capacity Test click here. The application can be found in our Forms section and by clicking here. If you have any other questions please call MRFD Station 1 at (406) 549-6172. Email applications to hsather@mrfdfire.org or mail them to Missoula Rural Fire District, 2521 South Ave. W, Missoula, MT 59804
May MRFD Board of Trustees Meeting
Pursuant to the Governor’s Directive that residents are not allowed to leave their residences to attend government-centered meetings and the AG’s opinion that remote meetings are allowed during the COVID-19 emergency, MRFD will hold its regularly scheduled May Board of Trustees meeting by remote means. To join the meeting, please follow the instructions below:
Topic: MRFD Board of Trustees Meeting
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85825152083?pwd=QjZ1THVEcHIrbVgrbDNhSElBaUtQZz09
Meeting ID: 858 2515 2083
Password: 025053
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,85825152083#,,1#,025053# US (Houston)
+16699006833,,85825152083#,,1#,025053# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
Meeting ID: 858 2515 2083
Password: 025053
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kecjSXAiG
Please email Fire Chief Chris Newman at cnewman@mrfdfire.org if you have any questions.
May Car Seat Event Cancelled
In response to COVID-19, the Missoula Rural Fire District is canceling the April Car Seat Event. The safety of our community is our primary concern and we hope to resume car seat installations as soon as we can. We will continue with updates as the situation develops. Thank you for your understanding.
Ladder Truck Surplus Sale
MISSOULA RURAL FIRE DISTRICT – LADDER TRUCK SURPLUS SALE, BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION #:2020-8.
Missoula Rural Fire District is accepting sealed auction bids to purchase a surplus ladder truck. The surplus ladder truck is a 1989 PEMFAB Imperial Chassis, American Eagle Sky Eagle 300 Body and LTI 25-55 Aerial.
Please visit mrfdfire.org for more details and photos on selected items. To schedule an appointment to view the surplus vehicle or for questions regarding this sale please contact Brian LaForest, Resource Manager at 406-544-4075 or Paul Finlay, Assistant Chief at 406-549-6172.
Please submit sealed bids to: Missoula Rural Fire District, Attention: Ladder Truck Bid, 2521 South Ave West, Missoula, MT 59804.
In your bid please include your name, contact information, and the bid amount. The minimum bid is $25,000.00 based upon a third-party valuation.
Bids must be received by 4:00 pm Mountain Standard Time, Monday, June 1st, 2020 in order to qualify.
This surplus ladder truck will be sold in “as is” condition with no warranty expressed or implied by the Fire District. Bids will After a be opened at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020 and the successful bidder will be contacted Wednesday, June 10, 2020. The successful bidder will be responsible for pickup of the surplus vehicle.
April MRFD Board of Trustees Meeting
Pursuant to the Governor’s Directive that residents are not allowed to leave their residences to attend government-centered meetings and the AG’s opinion that remote meetings are allowed during the COVID-19 emergency, MRFD will hold its regularly scheduled April Board of Trustees meeting by remote means. To join the meeting, please follow the instructions below:
Topic: MRFD Board of Trustees Meeting
Time: Apr 14, 2020, 07:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/7744586628?pwd=M0ZNNlhxNnBNUXVLclloSlFwRHFJQT09
Meeting ID: 774 458 6628
Password: 229739
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,7744586628#,,#,229739# US (Houston)
+16699006833,,7744586628#,,#,229739# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 774 458 6628
Password: 229739
Find your local number: https://us04web.zoom.us/u/fnCVo5LQF
Please email Fire Chief Chris Newman at cnewman@mrfdfire.org if you have any questions.
April 11th Car Seat Event is Cancelled
In response to COVID-19, the Missoula Rural Fire District is canceling the April Car Seat Event. The safety of our community is our primary concern and we hope to resume car seat installations as soon as we can. We will continue with updates as the situation develops. Thank you for your understanding.
Levy passed! Thank you for your vote!
A sincere thank you to all of our community members for participating in the voting process. We are grateful for the continued support and will work hard to provide even better service to our community!
2019 Missoula Rural Fire District Mill Levy Information
2019 MISSOULA RURAL FIRE DISTRICT MILL LEVY REQUEST FACT SHEET
Board approval. The Missoula Rural Fire District’s (MRFD) Board of Trustees voted unanimously on January 8, 2019 to place a mill levy increase on the May 7, 2019 ballot.
Amount of mill levy increase requested. If approved, MRFD’s mill levy would increase by 29.6 mills.
Amount to be raised. A 29.6 mill increase would raise approximately $1.4 million annually.
Impact on property owners. For residential property valued at $100,000 for taxing purposes, approval of the increase would result in a $39.96 annual increase in property tax. On residential property valued at $200,000 for taxing purposes, the increase would be $79.92 annually. The levy has no durational limit.
Purpose of funds. Funds would be used to hire, train, and equip 10 additional career Firefighter/EMTs. These hires would result in improved fire and Advanced Life Support medical response in the District by staffing every station with at least two career Firefighter/EMTs 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
Community benefits:
Funds from the mill levy would increase the number of responders with Advanced Life Support EMT training who arrive within the initial minutes of an emergency, allowing more complete, immediate action to save lives or fight fires.
EMTs with Advanced Life Support skills have the ability to bring medical interventions to the scene of an emergency that were once only available in hospital emergency rooms. The more advanced medical procedures that responders can provide immediately on scene, the more lives that can be saved.
The mill levy increase would help ensure that a minimum of 2 career Firefighter/EMTs staff each fire station on all days at all hours.
Passage of the mill levy would ensure the District has additional personnel with local knowledge who can respond to wildland fires.
If the mill levy passes, the District would be able to maintain more modern equipment including fire engines, medical units, cardiac monitors, and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus to ensure more consistent availability of up-to-date equipment on every call.
If the mill levy increase is approved by the voters, the 10 additional Firefighter/EMTs would bring the total number of full-time career Firefighter/EMTs at MRFD to 52.
Impact if mill levy increase fails. If the mill levy increase request does not pass:
Not all response teams would include career Firefighter/EMTs with Advanced Life Support capabilities.
Current staffing would remain the same: Two career Firefighter/EMTs would be available to respond to emergency calls at each station during daytime peak hours only, with fewer Firefighter/EMTs available to respond from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
Compared to what would be possible if the mill levy increase is approved, there would be less consistent availability of up-to-date equipment on calls.
MRFD mill levy history.
MRFD voters last approved a mill rate increase in 2014. Prior to this increase, the last approved mill rate increase was in 1992. Approval of the 2014 mill levy increase enabled the District to ensure two career Firefighter/EMTs go on all calls from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
If the 29.6 mill increase is approved, MRFD does not anticipate needing to ask for another increase for at least 20 years.
Facts that were cited in the MRFD Board’s resolution to request the mill levy increase:
The District responds to approximately 2,800 calls for service annually.
The District provides emergency response through career and volunteer Firefighter/EMTs and volunteer Firefighters. Seventy-six percent of the District’s fire station coverage is provided by career Firefighter/EMTs and twenty-four percent is provided by volunteer Firefighter/EMTs and volunteer Firefighters.
The availability of volunteer Firefighter/EMTs to respond to 2,800 calls for service is very limited.
Since January 1, 2008, the District has recruited and trained approximately 225 volunteer Firefighters but has retained only approximately 12% of those trainees. The current roster has 26 volunteer members, including Firefighters and Firefighter/EMTs.
The District is unable to ensure that a minimum of two Firefighter/EMTs with Advanced Life Support capabilities respond to an emergency between the hours of 7:00pm and 7:00am.
The addition of ten career Firefighter/EMT positions will not only help ensure an adequate number of Firefighter/EMTs arrive on scene of an incident within the initial minutes of the emergency to allow more complete, immediate action to save lives or fight fire, but will also provide an Advanced Life Support medical response with a minimum of two career Firefighter/EMTs from each fire station 24 hours a day.
To find the market value of your home visit: Missoula County Property Information System
To calculate the proposed tax increase on your property download our Mill Levy Calculator
For more information contact
MRFD Fire Chief Chris Newman, (406) 549-6172, cnewman@mrfdfire.org
2019 Montana Firefighter Testing Consortium Dates
MRFD is a member of the Montana Firefighter Testing Consortium. Career Firefighter/Paramedic and Firefighter/EMT candidates are always drawn from the annual Montana Firefighter Testing Consortium pool.
The testing for 2019 will be May 20-23rd in Great Falls, MT. The written test will be on Monday the 20th and all who pass will be randomly scheduled for the CPAT on the 21st, 22nd, or 23rd. There will also be a CPAT orientation April 19-20th where candidates will be able to practice the physical portion of the test.