Richard Baart Toderick Myers Charles Richardson Bradford Shea William VonDohlen
Richard Vogelzang, Treasurer Richard Baart, Secretary
10/31/05
The RIDGE ROAD FIRE DISTRICT has enjoyed some notable achievements recently that we would like to share with our residents and businesses.
Our 16 Square Mile FIRE DISTRICT has the responsibility to provide emergency services to approximately thirty thousand Greece residents, nine schools, five nursing or assisted living centers, the Park Ridge Hospital and Campus, Canal Ponds Office Park, Eastman Kodak Company, the Greece Ridge Center Mall, numerous Apartment Developments and more than one thousand other businesses. We respond to more than 6,000 requests for service each year making us the busiest Fire Department in Monroe County with the exception of the City of Rochester.
Last year the Districts insurance classification was improved to a category 3 which places our District in the top 2.6% of all fire departments in the country. This change in classification will result in insurance premium reductions for all residents and businesses of the District.
In August the District received “International Accredited Agency” status after completing an assessment process that involved more than two years of evaluation and validation of operations and programs used by the district’s personnel, both administratively and operationally. The Accredited Agency designation makes your fire department the first in New York State to achieve this distinguished designation.
The District is now working very hard with community leaders with respect to ongoing Kodak assessment issues. Since the early 90’s we have been faced with a steady increase in the request for service from Kodak or previously owned Kodak properties while at the same time, we’ve experienced a continual decrease in Kodak tax revenues. The Kodak Tax impact for The Town of Greece overall may not be particularly significant, however the Ridge Road Fire District has been dramatically affected. Large reductions in tax revenue of Kodak properties have necessitated careful budget planning to preserve required fire and emergency services. At the present time we are working with town officials and support their efforts to conduct a reassessment of the entire town, including the industrial and commercial properties located in the District.
At our August meeting the Board approved a budget for 2006 that will require an increase of about eight percent – one of the lowest increases in the county. This increase includes the addition of four firefighters and the re-roofing of the headquarters station. An important piece of the district’s budgeting process is that more than ninety percent of our expenses are beyond our control. They are driven by contracts, health care cost, retirement and other uncontrolled operating expenses.
The Board is also moving forward with plans to build a new station in the southern portion of the District. This is required to provide the same levels of protection to businesses and residents living in the Ridgeway Avenue area, buildings sold by Kodak as well as the Canal Ponds Office Park. The Ridgeway Avenue corridor has always been a concern and with recent development, both east and west of Long Pond Road, there is a definite need for a station in that area.
Your Commissioners are dedicated to the continuous improvement of fire and emergency services while carefully managing tax revenues and controlling budget expenditures. Our Fire Chief and his very capable administrative staff have our total support and appreciation for the work they do as they continue implement our district plans for the future. Thank you for your support.