September 28, 2023
Dear Cooper Landing Friends and Neighbors,
Cooper Landing Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1973 and combined with EMS in 2007 to become Cooper Landing Emergency Services (CLES) as a 501c(3) organization. Our department covers several hundred square miles of mountainous and wilderness terrain, as well as more than 70 miles of intrastate highway corridor (including large sections of the Seward & Sterling Highways) within the area of Cooper Landing. In addition, we provide mutual aid response to neighboring Moose Pass & Hope-Sunrise.
CLES is supported by a team of 25 volunteer fire fighters and EMS personnel responding to more than 150 emergency calls each year. Local EMS Volunteers hold State certifications including Emergency Trauma Technicians (ETTs), Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics. In 2022, our department members volunteered more than 1350 manhours responding to emergency calls & more than 1950 manhours in training. Training a volunteer EMT (180 hours) or firefighter (180 hours) can cost over $1,200 per course, plus reimbursable mileage, and other expenses. We operate 4 fire trucks (2 engines/2 tankers) and 2 Advanced Life Support ambulances staffed by volunteer EMTs & Paramedics.
Current Departmental Needs:
Assistance in finding long term funding to ensure the department remains operationally viable for the next five years and beyond. In 2022 our annual budget was a little more than $216,000 compared to just 3 years prior in 2019 when it was just over $136,000. Our 2023 operating budget in at $235,000. The current funding sources are inadequate to ensure the long-term viability of local emergency services. Post-COVID, our monthly operating costs (fuel, utilities, medical supplies, emergency equipment, etc.) have increased exponentially. Since 2021 the Borough has begun charging CLES an administrative fee for operating the 911 system/dispatching services based on the number of requests for service we incur. Last year, our requests for service increased 30% post-COVID, thus our dispatch fees almost doubled to $4200. This is just one of the many small expenses that add up to keep our operations running efficiently. Other examples of operational cost increases are noted below:
- Heating Oil/Fuel – 20% Increase over 2022 – $9000
- Electricity – 10% increase over 2022 – $3500
- Insurance – 10% increase over 2022 – $23,500
We are housed in 3 separate buildings of which two are more than 50 years old. The most urgent and immediate need is a new furnace before this winter. Without adequate heat in the buildings, our emergency vehicles can freeze and become damaged, rendering them useless. We have received a quote of approximately $9,000 for purchase and installation of the new furnace.
Assistance in finding funding to create a reliable community water source for the fire department – i.e., community well or dry hydrant near the boat ramp to ensure fire apparatus have access to water year-round. Our current (Insurance Service Office) ISO rating is an 8b (1-Excellent – 10 Poor) due to the lack of a local reliable water source (i.e., water well/fire hydrants) which has resulted in much higher insurance rates for our residents & businesses in our community. If funding were available to install a community well or a “dry Hydrant” near the Cooper Landing boat ramp, CLES could utilize this system to fill fire trucks quickly in the event of a fire year-round. Such a system could translate to a much better ISO rating leading to a significant reduction in insurance rates for local community members and businesses.
We are currently funded through 4 primary sources: donations, grants, EMS Billing & EPHESA reimbursement. The Eastern Peninsula Highway Emergency Service Area (EPHESA) provides a nominal stipend through the Kenai Peninsula Borough for any requests for service made along the highway corridor. Grants are becoming harder and harder to obtain due to the competitive needs of many community organizations. We continue to work with Mayor Micciche, Senator Sullivan and Senator Murkowski to identify State and Federal Funds that could be obtained to support CLES as we move forward into the future. However, such funding can take months to years before they are realized.
In years past, we have suggested an amount for donations based on residential or business status. If a service area were to be implemented your taxes would substantially increase. This year we are asking that you give what you can, with the realization that forming a service area is not a viable option at this time. CLES is at great risk without your continued support.
Please visit our website at www.cooperlandinges.org. You can donate online at the top of any webpage on our website from a desktop computer or there is a donate page under our website page – “About Us”. You may also mail a donation:
Cooper Landing Emergency Services
PO Box 510
Cooper Landing, AK 99572
Thank You So Much!
Cooper Landing Emergency Service Volunteers
Mike Hawley, President, Board of Directors,
Dan Osborn, Fire Chief
Clay Adam, Deputy Chief, EMS
EIN #: 92-0170016
Fact Check: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/cooper-landing-emergency-services,920170016/
