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ORANGE COUNTY FIRE RESCUE STUDY <br />NEW HOPE <br />1 New Hope, as with most of the department's in the County, needs assistance with <br />2 administrative issues such as grant identification and writing, preparation fox ISO <br />3 examinations, budgeting, and financing. <br />4 <br />5 New Hope currently funds paid staff. Two and sometimes 3 personnel are on duty from <br />6 8:00 AM unti16:00 PM and one paid staff on duty from 6:00 PM unti18:00 AM. This helps <br />7 with response as New Hope has members who work outside the District making daytime <br />8 response coverage an issue. <br />9 <br />10 New Hope currently has 2 base station radios, 10 mobile unit radios, and more than 10 <br />11 portable radios. With the County's migration to 800 MHz., New Hope has been allotted 3 <br />12 portable radios. This is clearly insufficient and even New Hope, a Department reasonably <br />13 financially sound, is not in a financial position to be able to afford the additional radios <br />14 necessary for it to be on the current communications level. <br />15 <br />16 <br />17 Recommendations <br />18 <br />19 We recommend that New Hope enter into discussions with Carrboro about a long term <br />20 agreement to provide service to the newly annexed area. This can benefit the taxpayers of <br />21 Carrboro by reducing the need for a new station and apparatus (capital expense) and hiring <br />22 personnel to staff the new station (operating expense). Given the size of the Carrboro <br />23 Department, New Hope would be necessary for mutual aid support. In any case it is in <br />24 Carrboro's interest to retain a New Hope capability. The cost to Carrboro will be <br />25 substantially less than what would be involved with a new station. Providing funds for <br />26 staffing an engine company with supplement by volunteers is a very cost effective approach <br />27 to serving the public. <br />28 <br />29 We recommend that the Department certify and document its water sources in preparation <br />30 for its ISO rating exam. <br />31 <br />32 We recommend that the District increase its tax rate from $0.625 to $0.675. This should <br />33 generate another $27,500. <br />34 <br />35 We recommend that the department identify and formally document volunteers available for <br />36 weekday daytime response. In addition, the Department should document and formalize its <br />37 student member program, including identifying funding to support the program and provide <br />38 stipends to the students. <br />48 <br />