Seeley fire district board meets for January
The Seeley Lake Rural Fire District Board met last Tuesday to hear board members ask questions, and touch base on a community member’s request and firearm carry on district property.
Board Chairman Gary Lewis said he called the Missoula Deputy County Attorney to discuss firearm carry laws on fire department property.
In November, the board discussed the pros and cons of allowing or not allowing firearm carrying on property. After a situation that occurred in October last year that left a member of the public feeling uneasy when a fire department volunteer was carrying, Trustee Shirley Goudzwaard made a motion to restrict firearm carry on district property, which ultimately failed.
Lewis said the Deputy County Attorney was opposed to the district putting in a firearm policy, especially under an open carry landscape in Montana that fluctuated after state legislation in 2021. The board voted to invite the Deputy County Attorney to the meeting next month for further discussion.
Lydia Lind Kelly, of Seeley Lake, spoke to a formal complaint she wrote regarding the conduct of an ambulance driver. Kelly was unable to attend the November meeting, but the letter was read aloud by another member of the public. The letter expressed wanting the resignation of the ambulance driver who responded to her call. Kelly was looking for an update on her request.
“I’m sure, if the person in question’s file was reviewed, my complaint would not stand alone,” Kelly wrote in her letter.
Lewis said all issues the public may have with fire department employees go through Fire Chief Dave Lane, not the board.
“We do not handle the employees other than the ones we pay,” Lewis said.
During a portion of the meeting where board members could report on different topics, Goudzwaard presented various questions to Lane including where the fire trucks were serviced, how often his EMS bag is checked, how often equipment that requires batteries is checked for charge, how often ambulances are cleaned, the status of paid-for lunches for volunteers, what the chief’s policy is regarding if a volunteer smells of alcohol or marijuana and how house fires are responded to.
Lane said it depends on the service needed for the fire trucks, but minor issues go to Clearwater Towing & Repair in Seeley. Time Rental or the diesel mechanic in Missoula takes care of bigger issues. Lane said his EMS bag is checked every Monday and batteries are checked on the same schedule. Lane also said the district doesn’t have any expired medications on premises currently.
The inside and exterior of the ambulances are supposed to be cleaned after each call. If it’s early in the morning, Lane said the inside still must be cleaned at the hospital, but the exterior is often cleaned the next day. Lane said lunches are not paid for volunteers. If a person smells of marijuana or alcohol, they are not sent out on a call.
The house fire question was related to one that occurred early last week. Lane was unable to respond to the fire but said coverage was in place to take care of a fire in the event it happened.
“If there wasn’t coverage, yes I would go. But there was, it was prearranged,” Lane said.
In December 2023 the fire department responded to 26 calls compared to 22 last month. Year-to-date totals for 2023 were 324, and last year hit 374 calls, Lane said.
The district had another volunteer application handed out on Tuesday, Jan. 21, the date of the January board meeting. Lane said a previous applicant has gone through a background application and drug test and received his task books, which are required to be completed before starting volunteer work.
The district received the Missoula County Volunteer Fire Capacity grant, which will help pay for equipment like chainsaws.
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