MARCH 23, 2004

INFORMATION LETTER ABOUT THE PROPOSED NEW FIRE AND EMS FACILITY FOR THE BROOKLYN FIRE AND EMS PROTECTION DISTRICT

THE INTENT OF THIS INFORMATION LETTER IS TO INFORM THE RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE BROOKLYN FIRE AND EMS PROTECTION DISTRICT OF THE STATUS OF THE PROPOSED NEW FACILITY FOR THE FIRE AND EMS DEPARTMENT.

FIRST SOME HISTORY OF THE BROOKLYN FIRE AND EMS DEPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS FORMED IN 1906 AND UNTIL 1966 THE EQUIPMENT WAS HOUSED BENEATH THE COMMUNITY BUILDING AND IN THE BUILDING ON THE CORNER OF HOTEL STREET AND N. RUTLAND AVE. IN 1966 THE PRESENT FIRE STATION WAS BUILT. IT CONSISTED OF 3 BAYS AND 2 BATHROOMS. AT THAT TIME WE HAD 1 ENGINE, 1 EQUIPMENT TRUCK AND 1 COMBINATION /BRUSH UNIT. WE USED MILK TANKERS OF SEVERAL LOCAL MILK HAULERS TO HAUL WATER TO THE FIRE SCENES. WHEN THE DAIRY CLOSED IN THE VILLAGE WE LOST THE USE OF THE MILK TANKERS. A 2200 GALLON TANKER WAS PURCHASED TO HAUL WATER. THIS WAS THE START OF DOUBLING UP OF FIRE APPARATUS IN THE BAYS. AT THAT TIME WE WERE RESPONDING TO AN AVERAGE OF 12 CALLS PER YEAR. IN 1972 A BRUSH TRUCK WAS ADDED TO THE FLEET. WITH THIS WE NOW HAD 5 UNITS COMING OUT OF 3 STALLS. TRUCKS HAD TO BE PARKED OUTSIDE WHEN WE HELD TRAINING OR MEETINGS. IN 1980 THE BROOKLYN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT WAS FORMED. UP TO THAT TIME THE EQUIPMENT WAS OWNED BY THE VILLAGE OF BROOKLYN AND THEY CHARGED THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES FOR THE SERVICE. THE OWNERS OF THE DISTRICT ARE THE VILLAGE OF BROOKLYN, TOWNS OF BROOKLYN, OREGON, RUTLAND AND UNION. THE DISTRICT HAS A GOVERNING BODY WITH REPRESENTATION FROM EACH OF THE MUNICIPALITIES. IT WAS APPARENT THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR MORE ROOM IN THE STATION. IN 1980 4 BAYS, A CLASSROOM AND AN OFFICE/RADIO ROOM WERE ADDED. RUN RESPONSES WERE INCREASING AND IN THE LATE 1980S A SECOND ENGINE WAS PURCHASED. AT THIS TIME AMBULANCE SERVICE WAS BEING PROVIDED BY OREGON, EVANSVILLE OR ALBANY AND IN ORDER TO GET SOME MEDICAL ATTENTION TO THE PATIENT SOONER WE STARTED A FIRST RESPONDER PROGRAM. WITH THIS WE WOULD RESPOND AND START PATIENT CARE UNTIL THE TRANSPORTING AMBULANCE SERVICE ARRIVED. BY 1990, FIRE PERSONAL WERE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO RIDE ON THE TAILBOARD OF THE RESPONDING UNITS AND A VAN WAS PURCHASED TO TRANSPORT MEMBERS TO AND FROM THE SCENE. IN 1994 THE DISTRICT STARTED LOOKING INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF HAVING its OWN EMS SERVICE AND IN 1995 THE BROOKLYN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT WAS CHANGED TO THE BROOKLYN FIRE AND EMS PROTECTION DISTRICT. MEMBERS WERE TRAINED, EQUIPMENT AND AN AMBULANCE WAS PURCHASED AND BROOKLYN EMS RESPONDED TO its FIRST CALL ON JULY 1^ST, 1996. WITH THE PUBLIC HUNTING GROUNDS, SNOWMOBILE TRAILS AND MORE FARM LAND IN SET ASIDE PROGRAM, A JOHN DEERE GATOR WAS PURCHASED ALONG WITH A MED BED AND A WATER TANK AND PUMP. THIS UNIT IS USED FOR MEDICAL TRANSPORT BACK TO THE AMBULANCE OR FIRE SUPPRESSION IN REMOTE AREAS. THIS BRINGS US UP TO OUR CURRENT FLEET OF 9 UNITS, 2 ENGINES, 2 TANKERS, 1 BRUSH TRUCK, 1 RESCUE, 1 ATV VEHICLE, 1 PERSONAL CARRIER AND THE AMBULANCE. WE HAVE THESE 9 UNITS RESPONDING OUT OF 7 BAYS. OUR RESPONSES HAVE INCREASED FROM 12 PER YEAR IN 1966 TO A COMBINATION OF FIRE AND EMS RESPONSES OF 250 IN 2003. WE ARE STILL HANDLING THESE CALLS WITH A COMPLETELY VOLUNTEER STAFF. AT THIS TIME WE ARE AGAIN FACING THE LACK OF ROOM FOR EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, TRAINING AREA AND OFFICE SPACE. IT WAS BROUGHT UP AT A DISTRICT MEETING AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO START A LIST OF THE NEEDS OF THE 2 SERVICES AND BRING IT BACK TO THE DISTRICT BOARD. MEMBERS STARTED A NEED LIST WHICH INCLUDED MORE BAY AREA, STORAGE FOR TRAINING AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES, STORAGE FOR RECORDS, STORAGE FOR EXTRA TURN OUT GEAR AND EQUIPMENT, ROOMS FOR TRAINING, OFFICE AREA FOR EMS AND FIRE OFFICERS, DISTRICT SECRETARY, BILLING SPECIALIST, SLEEPING QUARTERS AND LOUNGE AREA AND A LARGER KITCHEN. THESE WERE THE MAJOR AREAS OF CONCERN. THE DISTRICT HAD GOTTEN A FIRST OPTION TO PURCHASE THE LOT AND DUPLEX NORTH OF THE STATION IN CASE IT COULD BE USED FOR EXPANSION. A CONSULTANT FROM STRAND ASSOCIATES WAS HIRED TO GO OVER THE LIST AND GIVE US SOME OPTIONS. AFTER MEETING WITH THE DISTRICT AND GOING OVER THE NEED LIST AND LOOKING AT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT WOULD BE NEEDED, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ADDING ON TO THE ORIGINAL FACILITY WAS NOT THE BEST OPTION. SOME OF THE REASONS WERE THAT WITH THE STATE HIGHWAY SETBACK REQUIREMENTS IN THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING AND THE RAILROAD IN THE REAR WOULD RESTRICT THE SIZE NEEDED, THE DUPLEX WOULD HAVE TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT BE ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE TO UPGRADE THE STRUCTURE TO A PUBLIC BUILDING. THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF THE OLD BUILDING WOULD HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED BY CHANGING THE HEATING SYSTEM AND ADDING INSULATION. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS BEEN ADDED ONTO AND WOULD NEED TO BE ADDED TO OR UPGRADED AGAIN. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT THE ORIGINAL STATION WOULD HAVE SOME RESALE VALUE. AFTER LISTENING TO THE COMMENTS OF THE CONSULTANT THE DISTRICT BOARD MADE THE DECISION TO LOOK FOR NEW BUILDING SITES. WE NEEDED MUNICIPAL WATER AND SEWER AND EASY FLOW OF TRAFFIC TO AND FROM THE LOT. THERE WERE 2 MAIN SITES LOOKED AT AND WERE AVAILABLE TO THE DISTRICT. ONE AREA WAS ON THE NORTH END OF THE VILLAGE AND THE OTHER WAS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE VILLAGE. THE SITE TO THE WEST WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE IT BLENDED INTO THE AREA WITH A SIMILAR USED BUILDING ACROSS THE ROAD. HWY 92 IS LESS TRAVELED AND EASIER FOR EMERGENCY PERSONAL AND VEHICLES TO GET TO AND FROM THE SITE. 5 ACRES WAS PURCHASED FOR $35,000. THIS WOULD GIVE US ROOM FOR THE NEW STRUCTURE AND STILL HAVE ROOM FOR EXPANSION IF NEEDED. WE HAD TO GET THE LOT INTO THE URBAN SERVICE AREA AND WITH THE HELP FROM THE VILLAGE THIS WAS DONE. WE WERE ON A TIGHT SCHEDULE WITH THE HWY 92 PROJECT AND BY MEETING TIME LINES WE WERE ABLE TO GET WATER, SEWER, CURB AND GUTTER AND SIDE WALK INSTALL ON THE SITE AND HAVING TO PAY ONLY 25% OF THE COST WITH THE STATE PICKING UP THE REST. THE PLANS FOR THE NEW FACILITY INCLUDE APPARATUS BAY AREA OF 9,830 SQ FT, MEZZANINE STORAGE AREA OF 1,580 SQ FT, OFFICE, TRAINING ETC. OF 7,288 SQ FT. THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE FACILITY WAS $1,500,000 IN JUNE, 2002. THERE IS A COST INCREASE INDEX OF APPROXIMATELY 4.5% BETWEEN JUNE OF 2002 TO JANUARY 2004. THIS WOULD INCREASE THE ESTIMATE COST BY $67,630 AND MAKE THE PROJECT ESTIMATE $1,570,000. BY 2006 THE ESTIMATED COST WILL BE CLOSE TO $1,700,000. USING THE INTEREST RATE 5.25%, THE YEARLY PAYMENT WILL BE $138,300. THE COST MAY BE PAID FOR OVER A 20 YEAR PERIOD WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES OF THE VILLAGE OF BROOKLYN, TOWNS OF BROOKLYN, OREGON, RUTLAND AND UNION SHARING THE COST. AT THE MARCH 17^TH MEETING THE FIRE DISTRICT BOARD VOTED TO CONTINUE WITH THE BUILDING PROJECT. THE TIME SCHEDULE IS TO LOOK AT OTHER FACILITIES AND GET IDEAS FROM THEM IN 2004, HAVE THE ARCHITECT DESIGN THE FACILITY IN 2005 AND THE FACILITY COMPLETED IN 2006. WITH PAYMENTS STARTING IN 2007. THE TIME LINES WERE SET AFTER LOOKING AT THE ESTIMATED INFLATION FACTOR OF OVER $65,000 PER YEAR, LOW INTEREST RATES AT THIS TIME, CHANGE OF INTEREST OF 1% WOULD INCREASE THE COST OF THE FACILITY OVER $240,000 FOR THE 20 YEARS OF PAYMENT, CONTRACTORS LOOKING FOR WORK AND MAY GIVE BETTER BID PRICING, THE LAND PURCHASE AND IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BE PAID OFF IN 2006 WHICH WOULD LOWER THE YEARLY OPERATION BUDGET BY $23,127. THE DISTRICT BOARD AND THE MUNICIPALITIES WILL BE LOOKING AT MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO PAY FOR THE FACILITY. IDEAS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR MEETING THE PAYMENTS WITHOUT A MAJOR INCREASE IN TAXES ARE POSSIBLE BALLOON PAYMENT STRUCTURE AS VALUATION AND POPULATION INCREASES HAVE PAYMENTS INCREASE, IMPACT FEES ON NEW CONSTRUCTION, AND USER FEES FOR FIRE CALLS AND LOOKING FOR ANY AVAILABLE GRANTS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE. THE DISTRICT AND THE FIRE AND EMS DEPARTMENTS KNOW THAT THIS IS A BIG UNDERTAKING AND EXPENSE BUT THE NEED IS THERE AND WE ARE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE GROWTH OF THE DISTRICT AND THE NEEDS THAT WILL BE COMING WITH THE GROWTH. AS PLANS ARE BEING MADE, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF THE BUILDING, EASE OF MAINTENANCE AND LONGEVITY OF THE STRUCTURE.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS,

PHILIP A MORTENSEN, FIRE CHIEF

BROOKLYN FIRE AND EMS PROT. DIST.