Proposition Fire asks voters in the Central Crossing Fire Protection District to weigh in on a package of infrastructure investments designed to modernize stations, update the fleet, and protect the long-term health of our firefighters.
Below is the plain-language summary of the proposed projects should the bond be passed.
Replace aging Stations #3 and #4, which were built before modern apparatus existed and lack basic utilities including running water, showers, and gear decontamination areas.
Modernize the wildland firefighting fleet, which currently operates vehicles well past their intended service life with documented reliability issues and missing modern safety features.
Fill a capability gap as the district's response profile increasingly includes motor vehicle accidents, technical rescue, and water-based emergencies on and around Table Rock Lake.
Pay off current financing on two tanker/pumpers and one engine. This frees up capacity in the district's annual operating budget currently committed to debt service.
Outfit new apparatus and furnish new station facilities to ensure they're operationally ready from day one, including gear storage, training space, and living quarters for extended standby assignments.
To the extent funds are available after the primary projects, bond proceeds may be applied to additional repairs and improvements at existing district facilities.
The full ballot language describes how bond proceeds may legally be used. Below is the official proposition as it appears on the ballot.
"Shall the Board of Directors of the Central Crossing Fire Protection District issue general obligation bonds in the amount of Four Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($4,500,000) for the purpose of acquiring real property; constructing, renovating, furnishing and equipping fire stations and other facilities; purchasing and equipping new and replacement fire fighting vehicles, apparatus, and auxiliary equipment to meet current safety standards; retiring existing lease financings; and to the extent funds are available, completing other repairs and improvements to the existing facilities of the District?"
Stations #3 and #4 were constructed in an era when fire apparatus was significantly smaller and firefighter health standards were very different. Today, both facilities present practical and operational limitations.
Today's fire engines and tankers are larger and taller than equipment from previous generations. The apparatus bays at both stations cannot fully accommodate current vehicles, creating access and operational challenges.
Beyond physical size, the existing stations have no running water or septic systems, no shower facilities, no gear washing or decontamination areas, no adequate supply storage, and no suitable quarters for firefighters during extended standby assignments.
These aren't cosmetic shortcomings, they are gaps that affect daily operations, firefighter safety, and the district's ability to attract and retain qualified personnel.
- Apparatus bays sized for current and future fire equipment
- Modern restrooms and shower facilities
- Gear washers, extractors, and dedicated decontamination areas
- Supply and equipment storage
- Office and training space
- Living quarters, dormitories, kitchen, and common areas built with future staffing growth in mind
The fire service is facing a public health crisis that most people haven't heard about. Decontamination facilities at stations are a critical part of addressing it.
cause of line-of-duty death among U.S. firefighters is now cancer
Firefighters are regularly exposed to toxic smoke, combustion byproducts, and carcinogenic particles during fire suppression. These contaminants cling to skin, hair, and PPE long after a fire is out.
Studies by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) document that firefighters face significantly elevated rates of cancers including bladder cancer, mesothelioma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
When a firefighter leaves a scene without showering and decontaminating gear, those carcinogens come home with them. Gear washers, extractors, and showers at the station are a frontline health defense, not a luxury amenity.
Stations #3 and #4 have no running water, no showers, and no gear decontamination capability. Firefighters operating from these locations do not currently have access to these basic protections at the station.
The district's wildland fleet is well past its prime, and rising call volumes and increasingly complex incidents make new wildland and rescue apparatus a necessity.
The current fleet of brush trucks experiences frequent mechanical breakdowns, which presents a major reliability concern both in responding to calls and for the safety of firefighters. This bond would allow the district to purchase three new brush trucks to add to the district's wildland fleet.
As call volume continues to rise, so does the complexity of incidents, including motor vehicle accidents, technical rescues, and emergencies on and around Table Rock Lake. This bond would allow the district to purchase a new rescue truck, better preparing it to respond to complex incidents locally and to support neighboring mutual aid districts.
If approved, Proposition Fire would add a property tax levy of $0.23 per $100 of assessed value. That levy is temporary, once the bonds are paid off, it goes away.
To find what this will cost you, locate your county personal property and/or real estate property tax receipts. Barry and Stone county property tax portals are located below with red buttons.
Then determine the total valuation (personal property + real estate).
Take the total amount, divide it by 100, then multiply that amount by 0.23 (the proposed tax rate of 0.23% per $100 of value), or use the calculator built into this webpage below.
Example: For a home with a median market value of $150,000, the 19% assessment places its taxable value at $28,500. At a rate of 0.23%, this results in an estimated cost of $65.55 a year or $5.46 a month.
Assessed value, not market value — find it on your county tax statement.
This levy applies only for the life of the bond. Once the bonds are paid off, this portion of the tax rate goes away.
For more information about this issue, please contact Central Crossing Fire Protection District.
