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Show SDFD approves 1991 budget request By SCOTT SUMMER ILL BOUNTIFUL - The South Davis Fire District (SDFD) Board of Directors approved a $658, budget request during the April 2 meeting. The budget shows a 12 percent increase over last year's and includes in-cludes the addition of a full-time firefighter to be trained as a fire marshal for the district The fire marshal position, which spawned the most questions from the board, will be filled from in- house personnel and should reacn fully certified status in about 18 months. The tentative starting wage budgeted for the position is about $1,700 per month plus benefits. However, the amount will vary with the amount of training. SDFD Fire Chief Brent Argyle told the board the district was in dire need of a certified fire marshal to handle the task of inspecting new buildings to ensure fire codes are being adhered to by the builders. In addition, existing businesses should be inspected annually. Argyle said he has been trying to do the inspections in the past, but lack of time and his admitted lack of expertise in the current building codes have created a void in the system that needs to be remedied. "I'm simply not able to keep up with everything I need to do and handle the inspections too," Argyle said. We're in a bad position, said Chairman Jake Simmons. "We simply haven't been doing the inspections." in-spections." After debating about hiring from outside the department and getting someone who is already qualified, Simmons said, "I'd like to see some promotions from within the department." The board agreed that hiring a fully qualified fire marshal would be too expensive for the district and elected to consider applications from part-time firefighters already on the SDFD payroll. "There are about twelve people who have expressed interest," said Argyle. "All of them are very good candidates." Argyle will submit portfolios to the board for their selection from those firefighters interested in the position within the week. The budget must now be incorporated incor-porated into the various city budgets and approved by each before it becomes legal. In other business, Argyle expressed ex-pressed his disappointment that the district was unable to get the $210,000 aerial fire truck from the Sandy Fire Department. "They sold it out from under us," Argyle said. "I didn't sleep for two days after I found out it was gone. ' Argyle is now gathering information informa-tion on new trucks, but he has people peo-ple watching for another used truck too. "The vendors know pretty well what's out there," he said. "They said they'd let me know if anything comes up." |
