Colona Fire District asks the voters for rescue tax

Colona, ​​Ill. (KWQC) – The fire protection district in and around Colona and Cleveland, Illinois, asks voters to increase basic taxes to add additional firefighters to the troop. They say that the money only goes towards additional staff to keep the community safely.

As it is now during the day, the Colona Community Fire Protection District does not have enough employees because the majority of workers are voluntary, said Chief John Swan. The current personnel plan includes the boss, a trustee and volunteers who work separate full -time jobs during the day.

“There are only a few people during the day, me and a trustee and anyone who might be on vacation,” said Swan. “It would be devastating if someone has a heart attack and we are not available.”

Chief Swan hopes that the public votes for the implementation of a rescue tax of 10 cents will be added to property tax invoices that would finance the setting of two part -time fire brigade.

The 10 -cent rescue tax is separated from the 30 -cent fire tax that already pay parishioners, explained Chief Swan.

“It will be a separate rescue tax, we have been offering our community a ambulance for fire funds for over 40 years,” said Chief Swan.

The Colona Community Fire Protection District hopes to say goodbye to the tax because they are short -circuited during the day.

“This is very important because there are no problems that are wrong substances,” said Swan. “It's going well, it's over to put on a few boys during the day.”

If the tax does not pass this time, Chief Swan said that he could not promise that a first aider will be on site quickly.

“We will have the ambulance, they are always there, but we may not have a first aider there,” said Swan.

The mayor of Colona, ​​Donald Ropp, said the tax was important for public security due to the aging population of the community – the number of almost 1000 years.

“We need this support from emergency services, about things you don't think about until you need you,” said Ropp.

The tax is coordinated in April, it needs a simple majority to pass.

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