Fire department hosting dinner, auction

With an eye on a new fire engine that would be more suited to the terrain it would be protecting, the Hope/East Hope fire department is hosting a spaghetti dinner and silent auction on Saturday.

The event will be held at the Hope Community Center starting at 3 p.m. Dinner will be served from 4:30 to 6:30 and the auction will end at 6:30.The fire department has obtained lots of donations for the auction, including health club memberships, restaurant gift certificates and boat rentals.

“We’d like to raise $5,000,” East Hope city clerk, Christy Franck said, “That would be a feather in our cap, but realistically, I think we can raise $2,000 - $3,000.”

Fire chief, Robert Moore said that having funds available gives the VFD a higher score when applying for grants. The truck they’re looking at costs $165,000 plus they’ll need another $45,000 in equipment. The cost to the department at only $15,000 is a bargain, he said.

“If we can increase our water pumping power from 250 gallons per minute to 1,250 gallons per minute it will help in lowering the fire rating for both cities,” Moore said.

The cities of Hope and East Hope share the expenses of the fire department on a 80:20 ratio with Hope taking on the lesser amount. At the May council meetings of both cities a sixteen percent increase in fire department budgets was recommended.

Some of this increase will include a line item to pay the fire chief a salary of $300 per month. Former chief and current mayor of East Hope told both councils that as chief he had turned down compensation, but the resolution to pay the chief a salary was approved by the East Hope council years ago. Hope has no such resolution.

“I believe the fire chief should be compensated,” commented council member Jerry Clemons at East Hope’s May meeting. The response was the same at Hope’s meeting. “I don’t know what we’ll cut to make it happen, but I support it too,” Council member Bill Breen said.

Hope Mayor Larry Keith agreed.

“It is important to our community, it’s only $60 per month,” he said. “I don’t want to push the council into it, but when you think about where we came from and where we are now it’s amazing.”

Madden reminded both councils that a brush fire that was put out quickly last year could have had disastrous results if the weather conditions had been just right to send a spark up to these hillside communities.

He also said that homeowners who think they’re protected by the Forest Service because of the assessment on their taxes should remember that that money is used to protect the forest, not structures.

Both councils discussed the advantages of contracting with the VFD for fire protection if landowners are outside the city limits.

They also approved the automatic/mutual aid and assistance agreement with Clark Fork and Sam Owen VFDs that formalizes the hand-shake agreement that these cities have had in effect for several years.

For more information on donating to the Hope/East Hope fundraiser contact East Hope City Hall at 264-5877 or Sandy Butler at 264-6024.