Commissioners vote to dissolve Cabinet View Fire Service Area
by Duane Williams, KLCB-KTNY Radio
May 4, 2012
The Lincoln County Commissioners approved a Resolution of Intent to Dissolve the Cabinet View Fire Service Area with a public hearing scheduled on a date and location to be determined, the hearing to be held no earlier than 30 or later than 90 days after the passage of this resolution
Over 30 signatures of owners of real property within the Cabinet View Fire Service Area signed the petition to dissolve the Cabinet View Fire Service Area.
The Cabinet View Fire Service Area was created in 2000 for the predominantly Amish community of 25 homes and over 250 acres.
In 2005, the fire service area was expanded to 14 square miles (approx. 9,000 acres) having 250 homes; 1500 residents; a city/county municipal airport; a State fish hatchery with a residential compound; a Forest Service Regional Helibase; 12 businesses of varying sizes; the original Amish community-within-community is part of the fire service area, with a community school, country store, and log home business, and about 13 linear miles of a major U.S. Highway 2 under its protection.. All of the Cabinet View Fire Service Area is in the "wildland rural interface"
The current fire service area boundary shares the southern boundary of the Libby Rural Fire District. Libby Rural responded to fire incidents within this area for years, until residents signed a petition creating the fire service area in 2000 to cut down response times by having a fire station and fire department in the middle of the area and to obtain a good Insurances Services Office rating to provide a reduced rate for insurance on structures.
Libby Rural continued to respond to incidents within the Cabinet View FSA for years after it was created. Cabinet View declared it was ready to operate independently in the fall of 2007.
Since 2007, the Cabinet View Fire Department has continued to serve and protect this fire service area and has trained 1,000's of hours to provide an all-risk, all-hazard service to the residents of the FSA.
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By Duane Williams, KLCB-KTNY Radio, www.todaysbestcountryonline.com e-mail: klcb@frontiernet.net.
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