Police, fire officials say additional resources needed to keep up with city’s growth.
The Helena City Commission voted unanimously Monday night to add a safety levy and a 20-year bond onto the June 4 ballot to pay for new emergency services personnel and a third fire station.
Both Helena fire and police departments need to add staff to keep up with the needs of the growing city, according to department officials. If voters approve the safety levies, the fire department intends to hire 15 new firefighters, as well as add another fire station, while the police department will hire nine additional officers.
According to city staff, the combined cost of the additional police officers and firefighters is about $3.1 million a year, while a third fire station will cost $7 million, which will be paid off over 20 years.
While the city has grown, its emergency services have not kept up, Helena Fire Chief Jon Campbell said during the Monday meeting. In particular, the chief noted, the city does not have a fire station north of the railroad tracks, while about a fourth of the calls for assistance to the fire department come from that area of town.
Helena needs “to bring our emergency service capability up to the level that the community is demanding,” Campbell said.
More information at Montana Free Press.