While the path to consolidating the south Wood River Valley's fire departments seems as straight as state Highway 75 heading up to Galena Summit, perhaps the continued success of a 50-year-old agreement can help elucidate one possible solution.
In 1957, the Ketchum and Ketchum Rural fire departments found such a mutually beneficial way to come together that their arrangement still exists half a century later.
Rather than attempting to staff a force capable of covering the growing number of residences north of the city of Ketchum, the rural fire district handed this responsibility over to the city.
In exchange for their manpower, the Ketchum Fire Department currently receives just under $200,000 from the rural district, as well as equipment, stations and housing for firefighters.
"The benefits are huge," said Mike Elle, chief of the Ketchum Fire Department. "The city gets necessary equipment they otherwise wouldn't be able to house."
Unlike a full consolidation, this contract for services allows the two districts to maintain their own tax rates while supplying a high level of fire protection to both areas.
In addition, this contract for services allows Ketchum to maintain a low insurance rating that directly transfers into savings on fire insurance for homeowners.
"The insurance industry essentially runs the fire department," Elle said, explaining how citizens are willing to spend more on fire protection in order to keep the cost of protecting their homes relatively low.
With the rural district funding housing for firefighters, the city is able to keep the rural stations staffed in a way that would otherwise be impossible with a relatively low number of full-time employees.
The significance of this housing goes beyond an increase in area coverage, however, as it's one more way to attract volunteers to the department, the importance of which is not lost on Elle.
"We are a volunteer department supported by a full-time staff," said Elle, emphasizing both the quality and high numbers of his paid on-call personnel.
It's hard to find fault with the end results: the efficiency of operating under a single command, a greater range of coverage, and lower taxes for residents.
Fire Chief Mike Elle is in charge of both the Ketchum and Ketchum Rural fire departments, as well as the ambulance district for the northern part of Blaine County. Photo by David N. Seelig
