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Gunnison Valley Fire chief asks Mayfield to seed future equipment fund for $15-year SCBA replacements
Summary
Gunnison Valley Fire Chief Jed Henson asked Mayfield to increase its contribution by $800 this year and to add $5,000 to a district PTIF fund to help save for costly SCBA cylinder replacements and other equipment with limited service lives.
At the June 11 public hearing, Jed Henson, identified himself as fire chief of the Gunnison Valley Fire Department, and urged Mayfield to support a modest increase in its annual contribution to the fire district and to begin seeding a PTIF reserve for equipment replacement.
Henson explained that self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) cylinders and other firefighter gear have regulated service lives. He said a cylinder has a 15-year lifespan after which it cannot be recertified and must be replaced; a single cylinder costs roughly $2,000, and replacing the district’s outstanding cylinders today would approach $70,000. To avoid large, emergency requests of member communities when replacements are required, Henson asked the council to approve a $5,000 increase to the district’s PTIF account so the district can save toward a future bulk purchase.
He also described operational details: the volunteer department conducts hydrant-flow tests on a rotating schedule, covers roughly 500 square miles, receives about $11,000 annually from the county to help cover coverage, and is participating in a district apparatus purchase program that will deliver a new Type 1 engine (bid around $650,000) and brush trucks shared among stations.
Mayor and council members thanked Henson for the presentation, confirmed the requested $800 town portion was included in the proposed budget amendment, and discussed longer-term options to help Mayfield obtain a staffed station or a donated used truck; Henson cautioned that adding apparatus requires heating, storage, and additional SCBA/equipment investment.
The council incorporated the $800 district contribution into the adopted FY2026 budget and accepted Henson’s request for the PTIF contribution to be part of future budgeting discussions.
