VIDEO: Clark County Fire District 6 is asking residents to spend a little more money to keep up with increased demand and improve service. It will ask voters to lift the lid on its current levy to keep the district on track.
Fire District 6 serves about 80,000 residents in parts of Clark County, north of Vancouver, including Hazel Dell, Salmon Creek, and Felida. Fire crews responded to approximately 12,000 emergency calls last year, about 80% of them for medical reasons. However, the call volume is up drastically. In the past five years, the call volume has surged 33%.
KGW talked with Fire Chief Kristen Mauer about what the district needs to keep up with growth and inflation. She explained that the district keeps rolling, thanks to funding from local levies. But as property values increase, levy amounts decrease, to keep funding about the same.