Bigfork Fire Department to seek bond for new station on May ballot

Bigfork Fire Department will attempt to get a new fire hall on the May ballot in hopes of beating an ongoing struggle with funding.  

Motorists driving along Montana 35 have likely seen the “Future home of Bigfork Fire Department” sign near the intersection with Chapman Hill Road, a feature of the roadside scenery since the district purchased the land in 2020 to replace the old fire hall at 10 Grand Drive, which is roughly 50 years old and out-of-code.  

“We have a station that’s at its end of life currently. It was never designed to do what we’re currently doing in it; it doesn’t meet any of the requirements for a fire department,” said Allen Benitez, a district board member and head of the committee. 

In the current building, what was initially meant to be a meeting hall is now the living space for three staff firefighters. The building’s walls aren’t sealed, and there is no pressurized system to keep exhaust, fumes from gear and other potentially hazardous substances out of the office and sleeping areas.  

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has found that firefighters face a 9% increase in cancer diagnoses and a 14% increase in cancer-related deaths compared to the general population in the U.S. 

“All the folks that work for us are younger, family-aged, want to have kids,” Benitez said. “It’s really not fair to put them in an environment that we know across the country is something that you can’t be in ... It is our obligation to care for our firefighters and to make sure that not only do they have a safe place to work, but they have the proper equipment and everything to do their job.” 

The Bigfork Fire Facilities committee held a meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3 to discuss plans for the new building, designed by Bozeman architect ThinkOne.  

Current plans are for a 24,000-square-foot two story building with five bays for emergency response vehicles. Storage space will be downstairs with an office and living area on the second level, and room for six firefighters to sleep. CMU block will be used for the structure around the bays, and wood in the administrative and living area to save funds.  

In the future, mobile units could be added to the 8.6-acre property to house more staff.  

Members of the Fire Department recently took a trip to Bozeman and Central Valley fire departments to learn about their experiences with their newer fire halls.  

Suggestions included heating the pavement immediately around the building to keep snow away from the doors and prevent damage from snow plowing. Heated floors are also being considered to dry the bays faster. Bozeman has purchased Sleep Number mattresses and more expensive furniture with extended warranties in order to keep up with damage. Benitez said the district may consider this as well, as they are currently replacing mattresses every two to three years.  

While solar was discussed, it was ultimately determined not to be cost-effective. Benitez said it could be added at a later date if feasible. Electric chargers for potential future EV vehicles were also considered. 

“All of those things are being looked at in the pricing estimate to compare,” Benitez said. He emphasized that the plan was to make the building as affordable and long-lasting as possible while adhering to critical facilities guidelines. 

But the price tag is still high. What was initially an estimated $15 million project in 2022 has jumped to $17.5 million in 2024.  

The district will look for a general obligation bond with a 4% interest rate. For a $15 million project, that would amount to $35.10 a year per $100,000 assessed home value for taxpayers. A $17.5 million building would require $40.50 a year per $100,000, and a $20 million building would mean $47.25 per $100,000.  

“There are no $100,000 assessed buildings ...,” Benitez said. “So, if we went up to the high end the county recommends, a $600,000 assessed building; $210 a year at $15 million, $243 a year at $17.5 million and $283 a year for $20 million.”  

The stakes are high for the district, which asked for its last mill levy in 2018 to support Advanced Life Support service for 8 to 10 years. Benitez noted that with that timeline, the district ideally would not ask for another mill levy until at least 2026. However, the department has also struggled to keep up with the demands of a growing community on a 23-mill budget. Bigfork Fire Department covers area in Flathead and Lake counties, with revenue split 22% Lake, 78% Flathead. 

“Pay is an issue, staffing is an issue, about the only thing we’re doing relatively OK on currently is apparatus and equipment,” said Benitez. But even with Friends of Bigfork Fire fundraisers and grants for equipment, the district estimates half its machines will be out of service in 10 years. 

Bigfork firefighters start at $19 an hour with benefits, which means several must commute from Polson, Marion, or other places with more affordable housing.   

To compete with other fire districts in the valley, Bigfork would have to offer a 50% pay increase. Ideally, they would also add two people per shift so the crew could run two ambulances at once. Currently, Bigfork Fire depends on help from surrounding volunteer fire departments, which offer crew members of varied training and rely on individuals’ availability. The minimum crew on a residential fire is 15. 

During a traffic incident on Montana 83 last week, four ambulances and a helicopter were required, with response from Bigfork, Creston and Lakeside fire departments, the Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol. Bigfork Fire District has helped with around 1,150 calls this year.  

An estimated 80% of those calls are for ambulances, which have become more necessary for Bigfork’s aging population. EMS is not considered a critical service in the state of Montana, which limits the protections and funding programs receive.  

To add staffing increases on the ballot in 2025 would mean another mill levy for taxpayers, which Benitez doubted would pass on top of the bond. And without a new building to hold them, the department could not house them anyways.  

Committee members and community members shared their concern.  

“I’m afraid this would be the biggest bond issue in Bigfork, ever,” local entrepreneur Doug Averill said. “It’s going to just give people shell shock. And they’re going to immediately say, ‘How can we cut that building?’” 

Chamber Director Rebekah King added, “The people who are down in the $700,000 houses are the people who can’t afford another $250 a year in taxes. 

“The people that bought in 2019, they’re barely affording their property taxes now. I mean, that’s who we’re talking about, that’s who lives here all winter and who works in this town.” 

Suggestions such as building a basement rather than two floors, maintaining use of the old fire hall for some functions, a split-level building built into the hillside and seeking donated work were presented as ways to save money. 

Architects are set to send in completed designs by the end of December, leaving the committee to review them in early January. The district will ask for local bids and must determine a final price on the building by Feb. 10 to meet the County Elections Office deadline.  

If the bond were to pass, the project would likely break ground in 2026 and would not be ready for occupancy until 2027.  

“At that point in time, if we were to decide to sell the current fire hall at whatever value that is, that will give us funding to stretch probably to 28-29 to do the things we need to do with people, pay raises and other things, before we would have to go back for a mill levy to cover it,” Benitez said.  

The next meeting on the new fire hall is set for Jan. 7. Upcoming meeting information can be found at http://www.bigforkfd.com/fire-district-admin.html.