The Dammeron Valley Fire SSD Board extends their thanks to community members who attended Fire Chief John Hennessey’s open forum at the Community Center on the evening of December 29th, 2022. During the forum, Chief Hennessey reviewed the current status of the fire department, including response, training, staffing, and equipment. Chief Hennessey also discussed the ongoing efforts of the County of Washington to consolidate fire services along SR18 - currently supplied by three fire districts - into one new district (Western Fire District). The primary goal of the consolidation is to provide a unified, standardized, and effective fire response across the 110 square mile district, supported by a single fee structure. In large part, DVFR achieves these goals today, minus an equitable fee structure paid by all of the communities who benefit.
During his comments, Chief Hennessey suggested two action items for community members who are concerned about the effect of the consolidation on Dammeron Valley Fire & Rescue’s current fire service, and the inequity of current and prior years (26) of EMS service provided to adjacent fire districts without any compensation.
Contact Washington County Commissioners Iverson, Almquist, and Snow to express your desire that DVFR’s current fire services, including response times, staffing, and training, not be degraded in any way as a result of the consolidation of Diamond Valley, Dammeron Valley, and Northwest Fire Districts into the Western Fire District. The new Western Fire District should continue to build upon the achievements of Dammeron Valley Fire & Rescue to assure long-term sustainability and capabilities that pace with population and visitor growth.
Contact Washington County Commissioners and ask that they approve and issue payment for Dammeron Valley Fire SSD’s monthly invoices for EMS services provided to communities outside of Dammeron Valley. The first invoice to the County was issued on December 7th, and is due on January 25th, 2023.
Victor Iverson Victor.Iverson@washco.utah.gov
Gil Almquist gil.almquist@washco.utah.gov
Adam Snow Adam.Snow@washco.utah.gov
Chief Hennessey is available during regular business hours and encourages residents to stop by the fire department and speak with him regarding questions or concerns that you may have. The SSD Board can be contacted via the link on this DVFR webpage: www.dvfirerescue.org/ssd-board
During the town hall meeting, the fees charged by Dammeron Valley Fire SSD in prior years were mentioned a few times. For the sake of accuracy:
2020 annual resident fee: $210.00
2021 annual resident fee: $480.00
2022 annual resident fee: $470.00
2023 annual resident fee: $470.00
The District and DVFR are grateful for the ongoing support of the Dammeron Valley community. Because of your support, multiple lives and properties have been saved during the past two years of DVFR’s transformation that otherwise might have been lost. We are proud of the accomplishments of Chiefs Barnes and Hennessey, DVFR’s executive leadership, and all of the first responders who work hard 24-7 to benefit public safety.