Fort Bidwell Volunteer Fire Department

CalFire "Fire Prevention" Fee

Bills for the new SRA "fee" were sent to Fort Bidwell Fire Protection District residents beginning October 2012. The fee is $ 115.00 per residence ($150.00 - 35.00 because within the FBFPD). Bills are sent out yearly. The State did not bill for this "fee" in 2018?

While we appreciate the support we get from Cal Fire (implemented in Surprise Valley by BLM under contract), it creates problems for us:

1. CalFire (BLM) does not fight house fires in Fort Bidwell! So far, no State programs are allocating that money for fire prevention.
2. The tax is more than residents pay to our District, effectively doubling their tax without benefit. Many are retired on fixed income. If this impacts their willingness to support the Fire Department, we will be in trouble.
3. The tax is an enormous inequity between SRA houses and non-SRA houses. In Fort Bidwell houses West and North of CR 1 are taxed but not houses East and South.
4. There has been almost no change in housing units for decades, so there has been no increase in Cal Fire costs due to development.