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Council hears fire department update

Havre Assistant Fire Chief Mel Paulson provided Havre City Council with an update on the department at the council’s meeting Monday night.

Paulson said that in 2016, the Havre Fire Department ran 929 emergency medical responses and 171 responses to reported fires.

He added that the department estimates that the amount in property loss was $282,000, with a little over a million dollars worth of property saved.

Fire prevention week was a success this week, Paulson said, with more than 300 visitors coming to the fire hall.

He said the department is now collaborating with Havre Police Department on a new way to page in personnel for emergencies, which should be in place within the next month.

The department received $510,000 for a new fire truck Friday with money from a grant the department secured with the help of Bear Paw Development Corp.

Paulson said one firefighter was recently certified as a ropes technician, and three others have completed Crude by Rail, a course in Pueblo Colorado put on by BNSF Railway that instructs firefighters in how to respond to derailments or fires on trains carrying oil.

BNSF helped send down firefighters to complete the course, Paulson said.

Three firefighters were sent down to take the course in 2015.

He said at least two more

firefighters will be sent to take part in the course in 2017.

Eventually the department hopes to have all its firefighters complete the course.

In other business, the council unanimously passed a resolution that will allow the city of Havre to spend local funds that are part of a U.S. Justice Department grant program.

Finance Director and City Clerk Doug Kaercher said that due to a miscommunication with Havre Police Chief Gabe Matosich, the budget did not include local matching dollars for the school resource officer at Havre School as part of the SRO Cops Grant Fund.

Kaercher said the new resolution will allow those local dollars to be spent.

 

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