Voters served by Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue have approved a replacement levy that will maintain funding for 42 current firefighter medics and will add up to 44 more over the next five years. These firefighters will ensure each crew can take immediate action at complex incidents like fires, heart attacks, car crashes, and rescue situations. Two small fire stations, one regular size station, vehicles and equipment will also be funded by the levy with a rate of 45¢ per $1,000 assessed valuation.

“We are so humbled by the support that our community has shown us by endorsing our replacement levy,” states Fire Chief Mike Duyck. “We know that our citizens work hard and have to make tough decisions about how their money is spent. Our community has consistently told us that their top priority for Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue is fast and effective emergency response. We will continue to use their investment wisely to fulfill this commitment. With additional firefighters, stations, and equipment, our network will be stronger and our ability to provide life-saving care will improve.”

More than 18 months were spent analyzing factors affecting response times to increasing 9-1-1 calls. That analysis—which generated over 150 reports from a data set of 200,000 incidents—provided a comprehensive overview of the District’s operational risks and identified cost-effective solutions that were presented to the community.

The additional 20¢ over the existing 25¢ levy rate was the first increase requested by TVF&R in 14 years. The Fire District’s Board of Directors made a decision to forgo a tax rate increase request in 2008 due to the economic downturn. Even then, traffic congestion, an aging population, and increases in 9-1-1 calls were beginning to stress the Fire District’s network of 21 stations.

For more information on the challenges, analysis and demographics that informed the solutions voters approved last night, click here.