Opinion: Open letter to the Apalachin Fire District Taxpayers

Dear Editor,

This is an open letter to the Apalachin Fire District Taxpayers. As we all enjoy the last few days of summer and look forward to the changing leaves ushering fall in, the fire district heads into our busy season with local events and the budget season upon us.

First though, I’d like to take the opportunity to congratulate six volunteer firefighters from Apalachin who completed the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at the Binghamton State Office Building. Lieutenant Joe Opper, Firefighter Colton Washburn, Firefighter Colton Luker, Firefighter Lewis Race, Firefighter Zack Wilt, and Firefighter Emma Roden climbed 110 flights of stairs with bunker gear and SCBA, 110 flights being the equivalent of the stairs in the original Twin Towers. Wearing the names and photographs of some of the 343 firefighters that died in the Terror Attacks of Sept. 11, they honor the memory of all of those that perished that fateful day.

As September draws to a close, the Fire Commissioners are busy working on our budget for 2019. In short, we have every intention of remaining within the 2 percent property tax limit. There are some additional unfunded mandates that we’ve received from Albany.

Most impact will come from a new requirement to purchase Cancer Insurance for all experienced interior firefighters. While no one likes unfunded mandates, the New York State Association of Fire Districts supported this bill, as firefighters face an exponentially higher risk of cancer than civilians. First year costs are unknown today but anticipated to be between $2,500 and $6,000 for 2019.  

Additional budget items include funding our capital reserve accounts for Buildings, Equipment, and Vehicles. These reserve accounts allow the District to replace obsolete equipment and vehicles on a scheduled basis without the need to borrow each time. This method of financial planning ensures that Taxpayers save on interest expenses and stabilize tax rates to be consistent year to year versus big swings associated with debt payments.

Looking ahead to October, I hope you all will join us during Fire Prevention Week on Wednesday, Oct. 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Station 1 for an open house event. We’ll be serving cider and donuts, doing station tours, and signing up new members. This is a great way to engage with your volunteers, learn more about how we protect you, and to see how you can help your community by volunteering.  

In addition, we’ll be supporting other local charity events such as the Tracie’s Hope event on Oct. 6 and the Apalachin Lion’s Club 5K on Oct. 13. For Apalachin Elementary School students, we’ll see you at Trunks-of-Treats on Oct. 26.

Any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out. We look forward to seeing you all during October!

Sincerely, 

Brian Rieber

Chairman, Board of Fire Commissioners

Apalachin Fire District

chairman@apalachinfd.com