Letter: Meyers Area Council urges "yes" vote on Measure B in March

The Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) firefighters are our friends; they are our neighbors, they are kids we went to school with, they are our softball teammate, and most importantly, they are our saviors in times of need. During the Angora Fire in 2007 some of them sacrificed their own homes to save ours, and more recently they provided vital help and support at the Camp Fire and prevented the oil tanker fire from spreading further than Hwy 50. Our community is safer because of LVFPD firefighters, but these firefighters are not safe in their jobs.

Lake Valley’s firefighting equipment is outdated and dangerous. Already our crews are at a major disadvantage in using old equipment with limited technology. Recently, our firefighters responded to a house fire and could not enter the home because their self-contained breathing apparatus packs were so out of date, it was unsafe for them to do so. They had to wait for South Lake Tahoe City fire to respond and arrive with their state-of-the-art breathing air packs that let them see in infrared and safely enter the home. Our firefighters are doing the best they can with this outdated and dangerous equipment.

This year two major types of equipment items – a fire truck and the self-contained breathing apparatuses will be taken offline because they are no longer approved for use. To add insult to injury there is no money available to purchase replacements and instead, Lake Valley will be forced to lease the necessary equipment; increasing annual operating costs and wasting vital resources. Currently the average homeowner in Meyers pays just $20 towards local firefighting

For 34 years LVFPD has stretched every penny to keep their equipment operational and provide first-rate service to our community, but it is time we recognized their needs. Our firefighters risk their lives to keep us safe. Let’s have their backs by providing them funding to get the equipment they so badly need to stay safe. This is why the Meyer’s Advisory Council supports the Measure B special tax on the March 2020 ballot.

The ballot seeks to raise each parcel tax by $52 a year. Even on top of the existing $20 tax, that is still just $6 a month to ensure the safety of our community and those who protect us. Furthermore, the tax will only be used to purchase equipment and CAN NOT be used for salaries or benefits. Because the tax is restricted in use, it will require a 66.6 percent majority of votes and will be subject to independent oversight to ensure that the funds are being used
appropriately. This tax is locally collected and locally used. All equipment purchased through Measure B funding will belong to LVFPD and primarily be used in the Tahoe area.

If the ballot fails, LVFPD may have to reduce service, or, as happened in the town of Forest Hill, insurance companies may cancel policies due to concerns over fire protection. Home insurance is already a major issue for our community and compounding the issue or giving companies a legitimate reason for cancelations is untenable.

A YES vote for this measure is a YES to allow our district to replace outdated, aging, and unsafe fire engines, vehicles, and equipment; it’s a YES to ensure our firefighters can be confident in their equipment when they go into a fire so all they need to worry about is putting the fire out; a YES means our firefighters can get to your house and put out a fire, can get to your neighborhood and start saving you and your neighbors homes and lives immediately. The Meyers Advisory Council urges you to support our firefighters, support our Lake Valley Fire
District, and vote YES on Measure B.

Signed,
Meyers Area Council
Chairperson Amanda Ross, Vice-Chair Judith Wood, Secretary Trevor Coolidge, and members Leon Abravanel, Carl Fair, Joseph Cardinale, James Marino, and Greg Daum