Commissioners to determine fate of fire department

The fate of the proposed reformation of the Cabinet View Fire Service Area is in the hands of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, following a public hearing held in Libby Dec. 9.

More than 50 people gathered in Libby City Hall’s Ponderosa Room to express their opinions to the commissioners, with 18 people speaking in favor of the motion to recreate the fire department and 17 speaking against.

A petition to recreate the fire service area was signed by more than 30 residents of the area, which set the stage for the commissioners to schedule the public hearing. With the exception of a minor verbal altercation, which was quickly silenced by Commissioner Mark Peck, the discussion about the obviously emotional topic was conducted with mutual respect on both sides.

Proponents of the fire service area argued the need for a closer emergency response department to their area, which is on the border of the coverage area for Lincoln County Rural Fire Department. Most also expressed a desire to move beyond the issues of the past and seek ways in which the new fire service area could train and cooperate with existing responders in Lincoln County.

Opponents expressed their faith in Lincoln County Rural Fire Department and their concerns about the return of the animosity and lack of cooperation of the past. 

Some opponents also referenced a forthcoming petition which would formally expand Lincoln County Rural Fire Department’s coverage area to include the area that would be covered by the proposed Cabinet View Fire Service Area.

Chief Tom Wood, who is chief of both Libby Volunteer Fire and Lincoln County Rural Fire departments, said regardless of the commissioners’ decision, his departments stand ready to serve and protect the people of the area.

“It’s always been about serving the people of the area,” Wood said.

The Cabinet View Fire Service Area was dissolved by an act of the commissioners June 13, 2012, amid controversy surrounding the department’s management and their willingness and ability to cooperate with other local emergency response agencies. Then-commissioner Tony Berget said at the time of dissolution the fire service area administration was problematic because administration refused to follow Montana law, they failed to cooperate with other emergency service providers and they refused to follow lawful instructions from the county.

“Commissioner Berget talked about the legal aspects of the disregard for the law by the fire service area and the requests by the commissioners in the past that have been ignored,” former county clerk and recorder Tammy Lauer recorded in the June 13, 2012, minutes of the commissioners’ meeting. “He had a paper that cited three reasons for consideration of dissolution. The reasons are: 1) refusal to comply with Montana law; 2) failure to work cooperatively with other emergency service providers and 3) refusal to comply with Lincoln County’s lawful requests.”

The commissioners, Berget, Ron Downey and Marianne Roose, voted unanimously to dissolve the fire service area at the meeting.

The commissioners have placed the discussion and decision about the fire service area on their agenda for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30.