League of Women Voters of Laramie Voter Guide 2004

Albany County Fire District No. 1

Director

The term is four years, and voters in a given area elect the directors for that area. There is no stipend. The office is nonpartisan.

Biographical Information:


Kenneth U. Brown:
My wife, Lillie and I have resided at 163 Harmony Lane for eight years. We have been residents of fire district one for 48 years. I was raised on a ranch in northern Albany Co. I belong to the Big Laramie Fire Department, the Harmony Farm Bureau and a lifetime member of the V.F.W. I served in the U.S. NAVY in World War Two and the Korean War.

Scott R. Hallett:
No response.

L. Jeffrey Mitros:
My name is Jeff Mitros. I am 46 years old. After receiving a B.S. degree in geology / Earth Science from the Pennsylvania State University and working offshore in the Gulf of Mexico for 2 years, I moved to Laramie in 1982. For the past 8 years I have resided about 15 miles southeast of Laramie near Vedauwoo with my wife and daughters. I am the current Fire Chief of the Vedauwoo Volunteer Fire Department.

Rick E. Spencer:
No response.

Dan Williams:
I am a 1997 graduate of Laramie High School. I received a bachelor degree from UW in 2002, and I am working on a Second bachelor in Secondary Education. I moved to the Woods Landing area in 2001 and joined the Big Laramie VFD. I received my EMT and firefighter certifications in 2002. I was appointed Chief in January 2003. I resigned from BLVFD in Spetember 2004 to peruse one of the vacant Fire District seats.

Question 1: What do you think should be done to resolve the conflict over insurance so as to assure rural fire protection?


Kenneth U. Brown: I believe that a workable plan to bring all fire departments under fire district one so they are part of a Government entity can be achieved. This would make it possible to be insured and give the departments government immunity.

L. Jeffrey Mitros: The issue of insurance for fire protection vehicles is only a minor point that is easily resolved by legally "incorporating" all existing rural fire departments within the district into the district. To do so, the first order of business is to create and adopt a set of bylaws by which the district shall be operated. By adopting effective bylaws, the district will be properly constituted and will be eligible to purchase insurance from the state Local Government Liability Pool. This inexpensive insurance is available to all branches of government within Wyoming and is preferable to utilizing a private carrier.

Dan Williams: Insurance is only a small step in continuing to provide and improving rural fire protection, but it is an important one. State law is very clear on what must be done to resolve the current insurance issue. In my past dealing with the rural fire departments I know that they are all willing to meet these requirements. Now the Fire District board must be willing to change their agency so as to comply with the laws, which will allow both the Fire District board and the rural departments are covered with liability insurance. If elected I will make these necessary changes.

Question 2: Should the boundaries of Fire District #1 be changed? Explain your answer.


Kenneth U. Brown: No. If the Fire District One is changed or split up it would adversely effect the individual Departments ability to operate on the money generated from their sections. We need the whole District to provide funds for the City contract and to provide help for all Rural Depts. The Rural Departments and the City Fire Department are all a very important factor in fire protection for all residents of Fire Dist. One.

L. Jeffrey Mitros: No. By adopting an effective set of bylaws that bring the existing rural fire departments under the authority of the district, while allowing for a measure of autonomy to those departments, effective fire protection can be maintained, and even expanded, within the current boundaries. The tax base for districts with a smaller areal extent will be so small as to preclude effective financial operation of fire protection within those areas. The current district will have a larger "pool" of money, which can be accessed on a "needs" basis, after district payment of departmental operating expenses, by the individual fire departments.

Dan Williams: Currently I don't believe that the Fire District boundaries require any changes. However I believe that the new Fire District Directors should work with our local legislative representatives to change state laws concerning boundaries. I believe that the laws should be changed to allow for portions of the district to break away if they have the appropriate resources to provide adequate fire protection and wish to do so. Had this been done earlier many of the issues the Fire District encountered this past year would not have existed.