An update to the Creighton Volunteer Fire Department’s policy and procedure manual was approved by Creighton town council during its Oct. 10 meeting. It could mean calls placed to the department could see an increase in cost.
According to council members, the changes were recommended by both Fire Chief Dwayne Wenger and the town’s protective services committee.
The new rules will mean some changes for billing and fees for department matters. Rates for firefighters will go up from $25 an hour to $30 an hour for each member and rates for department truck use will increase from $260 an hour to $450 an hour. Rates for either have not changed since 2006.
The changes will also include the first change in rates for certain types of calls since 2001. Anyone who owns a building where two or more false alarm calls are made within a 12 month period will face a $400 fine for each call after the first – previously, the same penalty was $350. In addition, any owner of a building where there are two or more calls for chimney fires within a 12 month span will also be fined $400, up from $350.
Muench said the rate changes will only apply to calls outside department boundaries.
“They don’t affect Creighton residents,” she said.
According to mayor Bruce Fidler, the fire department does not receive many calls for service outside their existing area.
“I think maybe once a year it happens. It’s only been over the last couple of years. They get called out on the highways to go and assist with accidents, different things like that, but as far as going away, no. It’s very seldom they do that.”
