Fire Consolidation

Creating a Ketchum Fire District for valley-wide fire and EMS consolidation

Learn the facts about fire consolidation

Learn the facts about fire consolidation before casting your vote this November on whether to create the Ketchum Fire District and initiate steps toward valley-wide fire/EMS consolidation. Three Open House and Q&A sessions about consolidation—its purpose, benefits, and tradeoffs—will take place this month at the Ketchum Fire Station (107 Saddle Rd.). Food and drinks provided.

Open Houses and Q&As at the Ketchum Fire Station

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 23 | 5 PM
THURSDAY, OCT. 24 | Noon
SATURDAY, OCT. 26
8 AM: Free pancake breakfast and equipment demonstrations
10 AM: Fire consolidation presentation

RSVP: participate@ketchumidaho.org

Emergencies know no boundaries.

Emergencies know no boundaries. Currently, not all fire and emergency medical service (EMS) needs are being met in the Wood River Valley. The same level of emergency service is not maintained throughout the county. Incident responses are compromised when multiple emergencies occur. And more preventative measures to protect communities from catastrophic events, such as wildfires, are not taking place. Independent studies that have been conducted conclude that countywide fire and EMS consolidation will help resolve this. Ketchum voters will decide on initiating consolidation steps during this November’s election by choosing whether or not to create the new Ketchum Fire District.

NOV. 5, 2024
Vote

Ketchum residents vote on the formation of the Ketchum Fire District.

With 50% voter approval:
- Ketchum Fire District would be formed; and
- Blaine County Commissioners would appoint three directors to govern the fire district.

2025 +
Consolidation

Other fire agencies consolidate with Ketchum Fire District to form one fire/EMS service for the region.

Wood River Fire and West Magic Fire Districts will join immediately.
Smiley Creek Rural Fire Protection District and Hailey Fire Department are discussing options to join later.
Other local fire agencies can join in the future.

EARLY 2026
1 District + new tax

All consolidated fire districts would be recognized as one district, with a new name and tax levy for the areas they serve.

Current fire/EMS challenges in Blaine County

Demand has outpaced supply
- Fire/EMS calls in Ketchum increased by 39% since 2020.
Visitors and residents don’t stay in Ketchum at all times.
- Adequate, consistent service levels can’t be sustained throughout the valley.
The Ketchum Fire Department alone does not have enough staff and resources to respond adequately to, or prevent, emergencies.
- Preventative wildland fire measures, such as evacuation planning, pre-fire planning, and mitigation of fire risk are not taking place.
- Industry-standard response times and emergency staffing cannot be met consistently (i.e., 14 firefighters deployed in 10 minutes or less for a single-room residential fire).
- Response to emergencies occurring at the same time is delayed or substandard.

Issues resolved by fire consolidation

Consultants have recommended countywide consolidation of fire/EMS services since they began conducting independent studies on local operations in 2006, citing benefits for emergency prevention, incident response, and operational efficiency, including:

improved wildland fire prevention and response;
more stable and sustainable staffing;
reduced administrative costs;
improved training;
standardized operations and procedures;
fewer equipment and staffing redundancies;
enhanced capacity to meet current and future demand;
better, more consistent service levels throughout the county;
greater ability to respond to coinciding emergencies;
more responders stationed closer to incidents; and
and better emergency response times.

Contact Ketchum Fire Chief, Bill McLaughlin, for more fire consolidation service information: bmclaughlin@ketchumfire.org.

If Ketchum voters approve the new Ketchum Fire District, followed by other fire services consolidating into one district, the district’s board of directors would adopt a budget and property tax levy for all areas served, including Ketchum. Residents will be able to provide input on the fire district’s levels of service and budget before it is instituted. New taxes would not begin until 2026.

Tax implications for property owners

If the Ketchum Fire District is formed and other fire and EMS agencies merge to operate as one entity, Ketchum’s current property taxes would be reduced, and property owners would pay the fire district’s new tax levy in addition beginning in 2026.

100% of Ketchum property taxes collected for the current fire/EMS services would be cut.

The new fire district would institute a new property tax to fund operations, to be paid in addition to current property taxes.

Total property taxes in Ketchum will likely increase slightly after consolidation.

Estimated $21.52* more per $100,000 of taxable property value (about $215.20 for a $1 Million property).

*Tax increase estimates calculated by adding the new, reduced City of Ketchum property taxes ($13.19 per $100,000 of taxable property value) with the new fire district’s estimated taxes ($34.71 per $100,000 of taxable property value) minus current City of Ketchum property taxes ($26.38 per $100,000 of taxable property value). Tax estimate as of September 2024, based on Idaho State Statues and property values in Ketchum Fire, Wood River Fire and Rescue, and West Magic Fire District jurisdictions. Tax amounts instituted by the new fire district may be different based on which of the region’s fire services join, the district’s final adopted budget, and the current property values of the areas they serve.

Contact Ketchum Director of Finance, Brent Davis, for more fire consolidation tax information: bdavis@ketchumidaho.org.

2024 Key Voter Dates

OCT. 11
Preregistration deadline

OCT. 21-NOV. 1
Early voting

OCT. 25
Absentee ballot request deadline

NOV. 5
Election day

Ballot Language

“Should a fire district be formed to be called the Ketchum Fire District, comprised of the current city limits of Ketchum, with the intent to consolidate the fire departments of the Wood River Valley?”

YES
Ketchum Fire District will replace Ketchum Fire Department services, consolidation with other regional fire/EMS services will begin, and the new fire district will serve all areas participating in consolidation.

NO
Fire and EMS services in Ketchum will remain the same.

Content paid for and provided by the City of Ketchum for educational purposes