Increased fire risk and a growing population, are two of the reasons why the Clackamas Fire District is asking voters to approve a new levy this May.
“We've had to make some changes to some of our response model and some of our staffing that really kind of brings us below a threshold of what a national standard would be and ultimately puts some of our firefighters in a rough spot with response times and that kind of stuff,” says Izak Hamilton, Public Information Officer for Clackamas Fire.
On Monday the board of directors voted unanimously to refer the 5-year levy to the May ballot.
It would provide 14.5 million in annual funding to pay for more than 60 additional firefighters if passed. The money would also help address increased wildfire risk and pay for new, quick-response vehicles.