Seeks to expand service area

Cabinet View Fire Service Area Board members have made an agenda request to Lincoln County Commissioners for today's meeting to present a petition with signatures that would triple its service area.

The request comes amid litigation, as CVFSA seeks a Circuit Court decision its ability to respond to medical emergencies. According to its charter, CVFSA only has the legal right to respond to structure fires.

"This request is separate from the lawsuit," CVFSA Board member Tommy Cook said from his home Sunday.

"This is about serving the people here in the Cabinet View area. We've collected the signatures, and we're talking to (Lincoln County Administrator Bischoff) Bill trying to get on the agenda for their meeting this week."

According to CVFSA Chief Dan Leavell, CVFSA has collected the signatures on petitions for 51 percent of all landowners within the area to the south, north, and west of the present FSA boundaries for annexation of property adjacent to the CVFSA, but not currently in any fire protection boundary.

If granted, the petition would, essentially, triple the area of the CVFSA and add approximately 30 more homes, 120 people, and six more miles of Highway 2.

The overall area of the FSA would increase from approx. 15 square miles to approx. 40 square miles in size, Leavell said.

Friday evening, the CVFSA Board of Trustees passed a resolution requiring the CVFD to self-dispatch to every type of emergency, except pure medical, Leavell said, adding the CVFSA still needs a mutual-aid agreement with Libby Volunteer Ambulance.

"It does include all motor-vehicle accidents - which the Commissioners define as medical, but our Board defines as non-medical," Leavell said.

Leavell also said the CVFSA is seeking to repair its relationship with the Sheriff Roby Bowe indicating its intention.

"The self-dispatch is required because Libby Dispatch will not send us to anything but structure fire emergencies and the Board feels this is not in the best interest of the folks needing the service and protection for all other types of emergencies," Leavell said.??

Asked about the number of signatures, Leavell said CVFSA volunteers have during the last month gone door-to-door conducting a survey of all homes in the CVFSA that will support CVFD offering medical service.

"So far, they have collected about 110 signatures representing approximately 92 homes out of the 250 present in the FSA," Leavell said.

"So far, the response is 100 percent in favor of the CVFD having a non-transport, first-response medical agreement with LVA and about 92 percent in favor of the CVFSA having an ambulance service."

Leavell said the CVFSA board plans to finish the survey collection at the end of this month and present it to the Commissioners and LVA.