Woodland approves 25-year fire contract with CCF&R

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Clark County Fire and Rescue will be serving the city of Woodland for quite some time as the city council approved a 25-year contract with the district for long-term service.

Council voted to approve the long-term contract with the district 5-0 during a special meeting July 31. Councilors Susan Humbyrd and Al Swindell were absent.

The city has had a contract with CCF&R since 2013, which stipulated that in 2017 discussions regarding a successor contract would be undertaken. The new contract is significantly longer in scope, which according to CCF&R chief John Nohr is by design.

Nohr said that having a long-term commitment such as the 25-year contract will allow for more solid planning as both entities, the city and the fire district, will have a longer forecast of expenses than on a more short-term timeframe.

“Sometimes some short-term contracts can lead to issues where other things are always coming up that have to be dealt with,” Nohr explained.

As per the contract, homeowners would be paying the maximum of $1.50 per $1,000, right in line what the rest of the fire district pays, after the passing of a levy lid lift earlier this month.



Apart from expanding the length of service, the contract also lays out stipulations that CCF&R will undertake “most capital expenditures, all repairs, and any required new and replacement apparatus to the District,” according to a summary on contract changes provided with the ordinance.

The nature of the contract also means that CCF&R will be responsible for the upkeep of fire apparatuses it uses in its operations.

“That helps us plan. It helps us maintain stability. It helps us maintain a facilities repair fund … an apparatus repair fund, that we know that we’re responsible for these rigs and these stations,” Nohr said.

Nohr said he was “very excited” with the contract as it helps both entities with long-term planning, ideally leading to a benefit for all parties involved.

“It’s a good deal for the district, and it’s a good deal for the city,” Nohr remarked.