Firefighting service pact reached

Nov. 26--City and county officials hammered out a deal that will provide continued fire protection services for residents who own property in an area north of the city limits.

Pursuant to the agreement, which closely mirrors one that was inked in 2009, the Muskogee Fire Department will serve as the primary responding agency. Services, however, will be subject to the availability of equipment, manpower and fees.

Mountain View Fire Department, which had evolved as the primary responding agency, gave notice in July it would no longer provide fire protection services for that area. The eastern edge of the area at issue is 14.5 miles from the Mountain View Fire Department's station. The Muskogee Fire Department has a station about three miles away.

The area is bounded by the Verdigris River and just west of North 40th Street West on the east and west and the Arkansas River and the city limits to the north and south. Fire protection used to be provided by city firefighters with mutual aid provided by Mountain View, but that arrangement ended after then-City Attorney John Vincent ruled the practice illegal.

Muskogee Fire Chief Derek Tatum said providing fire protection in the 10-square-mile area has proven to be a problem for years. He said response times for city firefighters would be much quicker than the estimated 30 minutes it could take for Mountain View crews.

"This will not burden us greatly," Tatum said. "And with us being the primary (responder) it should drop their (insurance) ratings by at least a third."

Mountain View began to provide fire protection services after the 2009 agreement was nixed, but the distance made the arrangement impractical. An ad hoc committee established by county commissioners in March began looking at ways to resolve the issue.

Efforts to work with city officials yielded an "automatic mutual assistance" proposal that would have required Mountain View to "claim ownership" of the remote area. Mountain View Fire Chief Don Dailey told county commissioners that the volunteer department could not provide the protection residents would need in an emergency.

District 1 Commissioner Gene Wallace said the interlocal agreement obligates the county or Mountain View Fire Department in no way. The agreement, however, requires certification from commissioners "that standard access roads are available for Muskogee Fire Department use."

The agreement provides the means to recoup the costs of providing fire protection services outside city limits. Fees would be levied pursuant to the city's fee schedule. Attempts would be made to collect those from the homeowners' insurer first.

"If they are not satisfied with this agreement, the only other option is to organize a fire protection district of their own," Wallace said.

The area, within which an estimated 200 houses are located, is large enough to create a new district.

Reach D.E. Smoot at (918) 684-2901 or [email protected].

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