Argos officials met in a special meeting last week where they briefly discussed an ordinance pertaining to fire department runs.
Town Council members met with Fire Chief Mark Dean in order to go over the document on Thursday. Clerk-Treasurer Lisa Mullaney explained that currently the department only charges for structure fires. However, the Argos Fire Department frequently responds to other types of calls outside of the town limits. To help supplement the department’s budget, officials are considering charging for these other runs as well.
Mullaney said that in order for AccuMed to begin billing for the service, the town had to have an ordinance in place first. She said that Town Attorney Derek Jones modeled the ordinance after some information he found through the State Fire Marshal’s Office which indicates how much a volunteer fire department is legally allowed to charge for runs.
Clerk-Treasurer Mullaney added the money raised from these runs would be put into the fire billing fund which can only be spent on equipment. Since much of the equipment is being utilized on those out-of-town runs, the additional funding will help keep it functional. It will also ensure that money will be in place to make upgrades when they’re needed.
The ordinance will be up for consideration during tonight’s council meeting which starts at 7:30 p.m. in Argos Town Hall.
