I’m super grateful to all those who fight fires across our state. Not all fires get reported to the media, but look at the numbers of how hard our fire communities worked in 2024.”

Scott Smith, R-Goshen County

PLATTE COUNTY – Representatives from all of Platte County’s five fire districts met with Platte County Commissioners to discuss a number of budget concerns, both short-term and long-term and how to resolve budget constrictions.

Some of the discussion centered around what each individual district paid and contributed based on valuation totals in each district. Some of the funds reimbursed by fire districts go to pay the fire warden salary, the deputy fire warden’s salaries, fire suppression premiums, the Casper Interagency Dispatch fee, the state fire advisory board fee and the fee for E-Dispatch. The county has traditionally reimbursed fire districts for fire command repair and fuel, food acquisition and the post office box the fire districts use. The amount allocated to each district depended on assessed property values within their districts.

Commissioners also spoke to the fire districts about statutory requirements in funding and what the county currently has in its firefighter fund.

The proposed change from the county would make an attempt to equalize the amounts each district is responsible for paying, which could put a greater strain on smaller districts, such as Chugwater fire, Antelope Gap rural and Guersey rural fire districts.

“In the past, what you’ve gotten from me is a bill that was divided up,” Platte County clerk Malcolm Ervin explained to the fire districts and commissioners. “State forestry divided that up and what (Platte County board of commissioners chairman) Steve’s (Shockley) is talking about is there’s no written agreement for this – it’s just a continued billing the way it was built before I came on.”

Ervin said forming an agreement would be beneficial to not only a future clerk and commissioners, but also for the county in general and each individual fire district. 

Eventually, Ervin and commissioners explained to the fire districts the ultimate goal is to have the Platte County Firefighters fund pay the majority of the fire district’s costs, using money from interest, and not the principal balance.

A number of other concerns were brought up during this meeting, of which both the county and each fire district said they would further investigate and reconvene at a later date to continue to work out the budget. Ervin said he would draft the agreement previously discussed at the meeting and send it out to each fire district for their feedback and eventual approval.

The commissioners and fire districts hope to have a clear resolution by the next commissioners meeting on Tuesday, July 1.

The Platte Co. Record-Times reached out to the Wyoming Appropriations committee due to the concern raised at the commissioners’ meeting regarding funding for fire services being debated and discussed in Platte County and across the state.

Scott Smith, R-Goshen County, who is on the board, said, “The appropriations committee is working on how we can continue to fund fire services across the state of Wyoming.”

Which includes prevention, mitigation and reclamation.

He shared that Platte County had 57 fires in 2024, of which 56 were on state and private lands, and consumed 303,590.6 acres. 

“I’m super grateful to all those who fight fires across our state,” Smith stated. “Not all fires get reported to the media, but look at the numbers of how hard our fire communities worked in 2024.”

Smith said his job on the appropriations committee is to ensure fire districts across the state, including Platte County, are better funded to ensure no district is left holding a bill they may not be able to afford. There are a number of other improvements the state is considering in the long run which could also better fund local fire districts, but those details were not immediately ready for publication.