Notice of Administrative public meeting - Revision 4
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General Information
- Government Type
- Special Service District
- Entity
- Dammeron Valley Fire Special Service District
- Public Body
- Administrative Control Board
Notice Information
- Notice Title
- Notice of Administrative public meeting
- Notice Type(s)
- Meeting
- Event Start Date & Time
- January 15, 2026 07:00 PM
- Event End Date & Time
- January 15, 2026 08:00 PM
- Event Deadline Date & Time
- 01/15/26 08:00 PM
- Description/Agenda
- DVF SSD BOARD MEETING AGENDA 15 January 2026, 7:00pm 1. Call to order/roll call/pledge Alan Burns, Chair 2. Approval of Agenda Alan Burns, Chair 3. Approval of 18 December 2025 Board Meeting Minutes Alan Burns, Chair 4. Swearing in of new Board Members: Kim Slight, Doug Markham Olivia Anderson, Clerk 5. Treasurer's Report Pat Johnson, Treasurer 6. Fire Chief's Report and Member of the Month Chris Rieffer, Fire Chief 7. Update: application for Paramedic Transport Chris Rieffer, Fire Chief 8. Review, discussion, and re-affirming vote: Updated District Mission Statement Pat Johnson, Treasurer 9. Update: Grant Committee - update, objectives, achievements, needs Hunter Wolfe, Deputy Chief 10. Community Fire Council: overview, stakeholders, initiatives, objectives, needs, request for funds Curt Shelley, CFC Chair Discussion and vote: CFC request for funds Pat Johnson, Treasurer 11. Open Board discussion (discussion, no votes) Alan Burns, Chair 12. Public Comment Alan Burns, Chair 13. Adjournment Alan Burns, Chair These minutes were generated using AI. Minutes for January 15th 2026 Meeting Date: 2026-01-15 18:59:55 Location: Dammeron Valley Fire Department HQ Participants: Olivia Anderson, Alan Burns, Pat Johnson, Doug Markham, Kim Slight. Reports by: Fire Marshal Hennessey, Chief Chris Rieffer, Deputy Chief of Administration Wolfe. Meeting Notes Call to Order and Agenda Approval - The Dammeron Valley Fire Meeting was called to order at 7 o'clock by Alan Burns, Chairman. - A motion was made by Pat Johnson to amend the agenda to move item number 10, to be presented by Curt Shelley, to the next available slot. The second to the Amended Agenda by Olivia Anderson and approved unanimously. - The board meeting minutes from December 18, 2025, were approved. Motion by Olivia Anderson , Second by Doug Markham Minutes Approved Swearing-In of New Board Members - It was noted that new board members for the Dammeron Valley SSD are now appointed by the county, not elected, per Resolution R2020-2580. - New board members Kim Slight and Doug Markham were sworn in individually by Olivia Anderson, Clerk. Treasurer's Report for 2025 - The financial report was presented in a new format with two main documents: the Statement of Activity (income statement) and the Statement of Financial Position (balance sheet). - Statement of Activity: o Total revenue for 2025 was $2,409,000. o The net income (earnings above expenses) for 2025 was $138,242.05. - Statement of Financial Position (as of Dec 31, 2025): o Total bank account funds are $313,367.08. o Total assets are valued at $1,516,649. o Long-term liabilities include capital leases of $442,988 for a brush truck and command vehicle. - Upcoming Payments: o An annual payment of $43,194.15 for the F-350 brush truck is due February 20th. o A payment of $16,739 for the Tahoe command vehicle is due September 1st. o These payments will be made from the capital fund, not operating funds. - The department is undergoing its annual state audit, with final 2025 financial statements expected by the end of February and audit results by the end of April. Affinity HR was praised for their partnership. Chief's Report - Personnel Recognition: The Chief recognized intern Kenon Sweetin for his contributions since joining in 2024. Kenon assisted with the fire academy and installed donated flooring in the station's bedrooms. - Department Structure: The department is organized into Administration, Operations, and Training divisions. The administrative division (three chiefs) handles budgetary decisions, while the operations division (run by Deputy Chief Flygare) manages daily responses with a minimum of four staff per shift to meet NFPA and NIOSH standards. Chief Flygare is also taking over Special Operations from the retiring Fire Marshal Hennessey. Training Center and Internship Program - The department operates as a trade school with state-certified EMS and UVU-certified fire training academies. - EMS Training: The spring EMT course begins on February 9th with 20+ students. All students now pay tuition, providing a revenue source. An Advanced EMT academy will follow. - New Certifications & Community Training: The department is seeking VA certification to allow veterans to use benefits for tuition. Community training is expanding, with a CPR/BLS class on the 20th and future courses like 'Stop the Bleed' and ACLS planned. - Fire Academy: Retests for the previous academy are scheduled for this weekend. Preparations for the fall academy are underway. Chief Hennessey is conducting his final wildland refresher training this Saturday. - Internship Program: The academies feed a successful intern program. After the last graduation, 29 of 30 students were onboarded as interns, working two shifts per month for a stipend to supplement career staff affordably. Wildland Deployment and Firewise Program - Wildland Deployment Program: A business plan was distributed for board review. The program generates significant revenue, split 50/50, and is used to fund department operations. The projected revenue goal for the year is $2.45 million. - Firewise Program: The Fire Marshal division conducted nearly 90 Firewise assessments in 2025. Resident participation in fuel removal exceeded national requirements by over 300%. The community's 'in-kind' work contribution for 2025 was nearly $80,000, representing almost 30% of the county's total goal from this single area and was recognized by commissioners. Community Fire Council (CFC) Presentation and Funding by Curt Shelley - Overview: A presentation was given on the CFC, an independent advisory group established in 2023 to promote wildfire safety and resilience in Dammeron Valley. The CFC's work was instrumental in achieving the 'Firewise' community designation and completing the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). - Accomplishments: Dammeron Valley contributed about 30% of all volunteer mitigation hours in Washington County. A grant for a chipper was awarded to the district, saving significant costs. - Funding Request: A request was made for a $400 allocation from the 2026 community outreach budget to cover a basic website ($217/year) and community education event costs. A motion was later made and approved for a one-time expenditure of $400 for the website and incidental costs for meetings such as cookies, coffee. - Outreach Strategy: The CFC plans to use a website, social media, and physical media like flyers and door hangers to improve community communication and education. They will continue to hold face-to-face community workshops. Pat Johnson made a motion to approve the request for a grant in the amount of $400.00 for a website and meeting incidentals. Kim Slight second. Motion passes. Mission Statement Update - Mission Statement: The board unanimously voted to reaffirm an updated mission statement: 'To provide to the community of Dammeron Valley and the district's designated response area effective, continuous, uninterrupted, competent, timely, and reliable fire and emergency medical services. To oversee, maintain, and enhance, when possible, the community's parks.' The terms 'continuous and uninterrupted' were added for insurance rating purposes. Pat Johnson made a motion to reaffirm the updated mission statement that was presented Dec 18, 2025. Kim Slight second. Motion passes. Grant Committee Deputy Chief of Administration Wolfe. - Grants Overview: Executive staff routinely apply for grants. It was emphasized that grants are not legally assured income and should not be included in the operating budget until received. - Key Grant Status: o Awarded: AFG grant for PFAS-free turnouts ($67k), CWDG grant for a truck/chipper/personnel, License Plate grant for training equipment ($5k), and a State Mental Health grant for an EAP. - Not Awarded/Pending: Did not receive the FY24 SAFER staffing grant. The SAMHSA grant was not renewed but will be reapplied for. An application for a CID grant is on hold. Pursuit of Ambulance Transport Service Designation - Background: The Chief explained the ongoing effort to secure an ambulance transport designation, as directed by a prior board resolution. The primary motivation is to become eligible for Rural EMS Grant and other grants to offset significant equipment costs, such as medical monitors ($60,000 each). The department is currently down six monitors. - County Response: The initial application was complicated by a new law (SB 215). The commission sent a letter indicating a preference to maintain the status quo with Gold Cross, citing potential legal complications and no evidence of service deficiency. - Board Discussion and Debate: o The Chief stated he will continue to pursue the designation as directed from last years board, shifting focus to negotiating a partnership with Gold Cross for the department's specific area rather than a full takeover. o Doug Markham expressed concern about legal risks from Gold Cross, while another supported continuing the pursuit to secure necessary equipment funding. o There was a significant debate on the financial impact. One member argued that since the ambulance, staff, and most supplies are sunk costs, there would be no new expenditures. Another countered that there would be costs for restocking, drugs, EKG equipment, and billing management, estimating that running an ambulance costs about half a million dollars. In addition no money to be made because of low reimbursement rates from insurance due to state setting billable amounts, and lack of transport volume (44 transports in 2025). o Chief Rieffer noted the application fee of $800 was already paid. Public Comment: Jody Truax- Regarding transport- infrastructure is there, personnel, equipment and supplies. If we get transport license we can apply for more grant money. H was transported by Gold Cross and insurance only covered so much. He doesn't want to have to pay the difference. If DVFR had transport the uncollected amount would be absorbed by DVFR. Board member clarified that State dictates what you can bill and insurance reimburses 29%-49%. Andrea Markham- Wanted to clarify that our Medical Director costs $30,000 annually, the old one was being paid $500 month. Trish Sheffield asked Hunter Wolfe if he had noticed a decrease in grants- private or government and Hunter said no.
- Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)
- In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations during this hearing should notify the Dammeron Valley Fire Special Service District Chairman of the Board, Ryan Andersen, at least three days prior to the hearing.
- Notice of Electronic or Telephone Participation
- Policy: This shall be known as the Dammeron Valley Fire Special Service District Electronic Board Meeting Policy. In compliance with Utah State Code 52-4-207 Title 52 Chapter 4 Section 207
- Other Information
- DVFD is located on the east side of Highway 18, about half way between Mile Markers 17 & 18, the second building after the mail box pods on the North side of the street. Pat Johnson- Treasurer Alan Burns- Chairman Olivia Anderson- Clerk Doug Markham Kim Slight
Meeting Information
- Meeting Location
-
1261 Dammeron Valley Drive East
HQ/Community Center
Dammeron Valley, UT 84783
Show in Apple Maps Show in Google Maps - Contact Name
- Pat Johnson, Treasurer
- Contact Email
- pat.johnson@dvfrssd.org
- Contact Phone
- 801-557-1178
Notice Posting Details
- Notice Posted On
- January 10, 2026 09:12 PM
- Notice Last Edited On
- February 13, 2026 10:51 AM
- Deadline Date
- January 15, 2026 08:00 PM
Download Attachments
| File Name | Category | Date Added |
|---|---|---|
| 01 15 2026 audio dvfr ssd.mp3 | Audio Recording | 2026/01/16 11:49 AM |
| DVFSSD Transportation Letter.pdf | Audio Recording | 2026/02/08 10:28 PM |
| Jan 15 2026 final minutes dvfr ssd.docx | Audio Recording | 2026/02/08 10:29 PM |
Board/Committee Contacts
| Member | Phone | |
|---|---|---|
| Pat Johnson, Clerk | pat.johnson@dvfrssd.org | 801-557-1178 |
| Alan Burns, Chairman | alan.burns@dvfrssd.org | 847-546-8879 |
| Olivia Anderson, Clerk | olivia.anderson@dvfrssd.org | 951-255-3820 |
| Doug Markham | doug.markham@dvfrssd.org | N/A |
| Kim Slight | kim.slight@dvfrssd.ord | N/A |