I have been following the purposed 61-unit Swan Mountain Estates subdivision in Powell County, just outside Seeley Lake. I have some concerns that I don’t believe are adequately addressed.
While I don’t have any problem with the subdivision in principle, the fact that these developers want to rely on the Seeley Lake’s first responders for emergency situations has some troubling ramifications.
Seeley Lake has terrific first responders. I personally know a number of people who work with or for the fire department, search and rescue, the sheriff’s office and others. They are dedicated, highly trained and devoted people who will risk their lives for you. That is the definition of a hero in my book.
But, here’s the problem. Missoula County has spent a huge amount of time, resources, money and education in improving the way buildings are constructed. In 2006, Missoula County established a county-wide building inspection program for all buildings with a very few exceptions. While there are many qualified builders in the county, there are (and were) many who are not. Even the best builders have employees who miss key items.
Substandard buildings were becoming more and more of a problem. Dwellings were not being built to code and commercial buildings often didn’t receive more than a cursory inspection or two from the state’s thinly dispersed inspection staff, based in Helena. People were having problems obtaining insurance, loans or they needed to make expensive corrections before being able to sell. Powell County does not have a building inspection program.
The implementation of Missoula County’s inspection program has raised the bar for all construction, ensuring that all contractors and homeowners alike build to a minimum standard. Over time, as has been shown nationwide, the result is fewer demands on first responders.
Buildings are built safer. Snow load capacities are checked, earthquake designs are checked, all electrical and plumbing is checked, adequate fire escape is checked and numerous other elements make these buildings safer. This means fewer accidents, fewer fires, fewer collapsed buildings and decks from snow weight or other inadequate construction, fewer falls and fewer trips from poorly designed stairways and fewer deaths. And, of course, reduced need for emergency responders risking their lives.
If Missoula County responders are to cover this subdivision in Powell County, then these buildings must be built according to Missoula County building code standards. Anything else would be an unnecessary risk to our first responders and to the residents of Missoula County as well.
How is that? Well, if our responders are dispatched to an incident at this subdivision, and they are then needed at another incident back in Seeley Lake, they cannot be in both places at once. A highway accident or heart attack may need to be covered by the personnel in Condon or Potomac, if they are available. This could mean the difference of life or death.
If Missoula County Commissioners sign off on this agreement to provide first responder coverage to the new Swan Mountain Subdivision, it must be contingent on an agreement of building permits and inspections performed by Missoula County for all buildings within this subdivision, for the safety of our first responders as well as Seeley Lake residents.
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