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Fire district urges update to 2009 mutual-aid agreement, says $30,000 county allocation is outdated
Summary
Fire district presenters told the Natrona County commission the $30,000 annual allocation for inspections and shared services dates to 2009, leaves the district understaffed for about 714 buildings, and excludes routine building plan-review work; staff recommended updating the mutual‑aid agreement and evaluating additional funding.
The Natrona County Board of County Commissioners heard a detailed update on fire‑inspection services on July 8, with fire‑district representatives urging the county to revisit a mutual‑aid funding arrangement that was set in 2009.
Howard Odin, speaking for the fire district, said the county’s roughly $30,000 annual allocation mainly covers annual inspections of county businesses and joint inspections with the building department. Odin said the district’s inspection log includes roughly 714 buildings but the department lacks a second inspector and must prioritize properties such as schools and assembly occupancies. “We are lacking an additional inspector in our office,” Odin said, describing inspections for egress, exit lighting, fire extinguishers and other life‑safety systems.
Odin told commissioners that his office has long performed building plan reviews and code analyses — work that is not written into the 2009 mutual‑aid agreement. He said the agreement should be updated to reflect current duties and costs, and that the $30,000 figure is likely “undervalued at this point in time” given the span since 2009.
Commissioners pressed staff on what the county is purchasing with the allocation and whether separate billing for building plan reviews overlaps with the mutual‑aid funding. Chris Cody, who presented alongside Odin, explained the department’s permit and inspection fee structure and said construction permits now include plan‑review and required inspections for fire protection equipment. The presenters said the district is moving toward standardized software to tie inspections and plans to individual buildings for better recordkeeping.
The update did not include a formal request for a specific additional appropriation; instead, presenters and commissioners agreed to consider revising the mutual‑aid agreement and to return with a proposed amendment for review. Commissioners asked staff to ensure any updated language clearly separates plan‑review work billed separately from services covered by the annual county allocation.
The discussion underscores two operational points for county oversight: the fire district’s limited inspection staffing relative to its inventory of buildings and the mismatch between long‑standing agreements and present‑day workloads and costs. The board did not take an immediate vote on funding but directed staff to examine the mutual‑aid agreement and report back.
