RFD1 Board working on fire suppression contracts

Rural Fire District 1 is drawing up contracts with surrounding rural and volunteer fire departments, RFD1 Board Chair Steve Jamruszka said in a board meeting Thursday, ones he hopes to have in place by June.

Jamruszka said they have to sign contracts with these departments instead of using mutual aid agreements because RFD1 can’t actually reciprocate aid directly, as they contract their fire suppression services to the city of Havre which handles RFD1.

He said the only time these contracts would really come into effect is in the event that the Havre Fire Department couldn’t respond to a fire in the district and another department had to take the reins, an occurrence he doesn’t expect to happen any time soon, but one they should cover anyway.

He said he would take the proposed contracts to the city and Hill County Emergency Services Coordinator Amanda Frickel for their input, then to the fire department to see what they have to say and finally to the county attorney to make sure they are all legal.

The board also briefly discussed what to do with the district’s vehicles, none of which have been used in more than a decade and none of which seem operational.

Jamruszka said they will be putting the 2001 Dodge Ram 3500 diesel flatbed with water tank and pump and the 1978 International Transtar 4300 up for sale.

As for the third vehicle, a 1970 International Fire Truck, he said, the Havre City-County Airport has expressed an interest in taking it.

He said as far as he can tell the most valuable pieces of that vehicle are the ladder and water tank, as it hasn’t been run in many years, much like the others.