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.