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DNRC representatives urge Treasure County to appoint fire warden, pursue training and prepare engineering reports for bridge grants
Summary
DNRC and Billings-area staff told Treasure County commissioners the county must appoint a fire warden, encouraged training for road and fire crews and recommended preparing preliminary engineering reports so the county can pursue bridge funding when grant cycles open; the board confirmed receipt of $55,411.68 for the Gibson Bridge.
Representatives from the state fire agency and the Billings area office briefed Treasure County commissioners on July 15, urging the county to formalize its fire-warden appointment, expand training for local road and fire personnel and prepare engineering materials to make the county more competitive for bridge grants.
Jeff, identified in the meeting as the fire management officer, told the board the appointment of a fire warden is a county decision and said the matter should be placed on a future agenda for formal action. He also encouraged commissioners to request available training early, noting many trainings run in spring and winter rather than during active fire season.
Adam, an external planner who joined the meeting, recommended that Treasure County produce a preliminary engineering report (PER) for upcoming bridge projects so the county will be eligible for MSAP/MSEP and other state grant opportunities. "If you put together a PER on this upcoming MSAP cycle, at least you'll be prepared for if a funding opportunity does pop up," Adam said during the briefing. He also discussed a possible state bill that could reduce local matches to 20 percent for certain projects, increasing the county's chances of funding.
Commissioners confirmed they had received a reimbursement for the Gibson Bridge project; the board recorded a payment of $55,411.68 to the county for that job. A committee member noted, "We did receive the money — the $55,411.68." Adam said the DNRC and state programs would keep an eye out for future grant windows and encouraged the county to maintain up-to-date capital improvement documents to support applications.
DNRC staff also discussed equipment and insurance. Jeff explained that insurance settlements generally go to suppression funds rather than directly back to county equipment programs, and that state rotation schedules guide replacement of engines and tenders. "You get 100 percent of what you don't ask for," Jeff said, urging commissioners to request resources when needed.
The briefing closed with the board agreeing to add the fire-warden appointment to a future agenda, to follow up with county staff on training requests, and to explore grant-driven PERs for bridges and other infrastructure projects.
What’s next: commissioners asked staff to place the fire-warden appointment on the next agenda and to follow up on PER development and grant opportunities; DNRC said it would notify the county when more grant details are available.
