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Show Garfield Community Leaders Work To Finalize County Fire Program TROPIC Seventeen community leaders from Escalante, Henrieville, Cannonville, Tropic, Panguitch, Hatch and some of the unincorporated areas of the county met at Bryce Valley High School Monday evening concerning Garfield County's proposed fire plan. Garfield County's three commissioners, George Middle ton, Dell LeFevre and George Thompson, hosted the meeting, a second devoted to solving the knotty problem of fire protection for residents of the county's unincorporated areas. Few counties in Utah have problems comparable to Garfield's because of its immense size, small clusters of inhabitants making up the nine incorporated towns, scattered homes throughout the county, and increasing numbers of homes ina few resort areas which are not designated towns. County commissioners have offered to spread $40,000 among the communities to help purchase firefighting equipment in return for each community accepting responsibility for fighting fires within a ten mile radius of its borders. Included would be the Bryce Canyon resort area and the Panguitch Lake resort area which would be expected to organize their own firefighting departments. Commissioner Middleton read a section of Utah law which states that incorporated areas must provide protection for buildings within their territorial limits. Such obligations apply also to the county's responsibility for the unincorporated area. Most communities demonstrated some reluctance to accept legal responsibility for fighting fires outside their town limts although traditionally they have responded to such fires. Escalante Mayor Dale Marsh noted that the Escalante fire truck had traveled the distance to Boulder to aid in battling the recent $50,000 haystack fire with all volunteers responding. The almost 30 miles separating the two towns results in losses that could be avoided if the distance were shorter. Such problems plague each community except the three Bryce Valley towns clustered fairly close together. Tropic, Cannonville, and Henrieville are in a better geographical position to aid each other with fire protection. Commissioner Middleton pointed out that they had reached an agreement with superintendent Bob Benton at Bryce Canyon National Park which would commit the Park Service fire truck and personnel to fighting fires outside the park as far as Bryce Canyon Pines. The agreement reached with the Park Service includes provision for garbage disposal and support from county law enforcement personnel for the park. A formal written contract is yet to be drawn up but Middleton is confident that the understanding with the Park is a step in the direction of organizing protection for the entire county. Proprietors of businesses in the Bryce Canyon area must now meet together to formulate plans and determine the best way to spend the $8,000 the county has earmarked for their area. New owner of the Pink Cliffs Village, David Lach, represented the area at Monday night's meeting. They agreed to meet with commissioners once again February 26 in Tropic to continue discussion and to hopefully arrive at an answer. NT Panguitch volunteer fire fighters responded to a fire at a wiiihlckcrv coop in- town. Fires In other communities throughout the county keep volunteers busy and communities are concerned about resonslbilitles, |
