Despite explosive growth in their community, Parrish Fire District officials say they can put off building a new substation for several years by adding more paid firefighters.
The district is expected to swell by 4,163 homes in the next five to seven years, and a substation at Rye Road and County Road 675 is an option interim fire chief Michael Johnson brought before commissioners a year ago.
But now Johnson and commissioners have decided to hold off construction and instead add three more career firefighters.
The new hires will buy the district two to five years time before it must build an additional firehouse, Commissioner Glenn Cooley said.
"All the new building going on is in the immediate area and not spreading out way toward Duette," Cooley said. "We don't feel we can call for a new station right now. All we need right now is additional manpower."
The new hires will bring the district's total to six career firefighters and 22 volunteers and will also allow the station to be manned by paid firefighters 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The two new staff members could be hired at the start of the new fiscal year Oct. 1.
Each of the three new firefighters will earn $28,000 and will work a 24-hour shift at the firehouse on U.S. 301 North and then get 48 hours off, said district treasurer Nancy Kurina.
The new positions bring the 2004-05 budget to $535,150, an increase of $35,330 from the past fiscal year, Kurina said.
No money has been budgeted for a substation this year, Kurina said.
"We expect 4,000 new homes in the next five to seven years," said Johnson, who has filled in as interim chief for a year and a half. "A new station is definitely in our future plans, but it's a little premature now.
"I think any chief would tell you they would like to have more of everything," Johnson added. "We're covering 90 square miles. But as growth continues we will have to balance the growth and the cost to taxpayers and determine when it is right to build another station."
Parrish has swelled from 1,800 people 20 years ago to roughly 8,800 today, Johnson said.
"We certainly needed those career firefighters," said Commissioner Mike Buice. "But as for the substation, that is something we have certainly looked at and talked about, but it isn't in the near future."
The district has been awarded a better classification by Insurance Services Office, which supplies statistical, underwriting and actuarial information for the property/casualty insurance industry, Johnson said.
"For the average person it will slightly decrease their insurance on their house if they live within a certain range of the fire station," Kurina said. "The district has been aggressively purchasing new equipment and that helped with the rating."
The fire district will meet at 7 p.m. Sept. 28.
