State of the District

The State of Cahaba Valley Fire and Emergency Resc= ue District

The Cahaba Valley Fire & Emergency Rescue Dist= rict strives to provide the finest service at the least cost to the members of t= he district. Unlike municipal de= partments, the fire district operates on its own devices not having to compete with police, parks & recreation, or the highway department for funds. On the other hand, the district do= es not benefit from a lucrative tax base but must subsist on member dues, grants, gifts, and service charges for ambulance service. Under that basis, we operate as a business with fire and rescue service as our product. In the last eight years the distri= ct has undergone profound changes which have included two new fire stations in Mt. Laurel and The Narrows, three new fire trucks which replaced older and outm= oded pumpers, a remodeled fire station on Highway 280 with badly needed upgrades= in the sleeping quarter and the common area, and a new fire chief. We have managed to do all of this<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> with only one price increase since= 2000. We have maintained the ISO 4/10 rating which directly impacts the insurance rates on your homes. In addit= ion, the Cahaba Valley Fire & EMR District is contracted to provide service to t= he Rex Lake Fire District and the City of Westover. In the spirit of cooperation and m= utual support among the area fire departments, we have assisted Westover to estab= lish its fire department and assured them of fire protection during their transition.

We have implemented many management improvements.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Some of these are as follows:=

Improved annual audits.
A detailed budget process to revie= w all expenses every year.
An employee manual that replaced a= loose leaf binder of uncoordinated policies.
Annual reviews of fire department operations using the Insurance Services Office (ISO) criteria that all= ow us to identify future needs or threats to our rating.
Revamped pay & benefits.
Annual personnel reviews.
A scholarship program to attract a= nd retain quality volunteer firemen.

As a result, we have maintained tight fiscal contr= ol while making steady improvements in the quality of the fire and rescue service. A review of the fina= ncial activities is below:

Because every fireman is involved in the budget process, they go to great lengths to get the most out of the districts funds. As a result, we have b= een able to keep expenses in check.

· When the certifications for our Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) expired, your firemen found replacements on EBay saving $50,000.

· As a result of the dedication of your firemen, CPR traini= ng to a major business in our district resulted in a $5,000 donation, which was used to buy equipment needed to protect the district ISO rating.=

· As a result of a $4,500 donation by a private citizen, yo= ur firemen were able to initiate and equip a capacity for response to any inci= dent on the many lakes in this district.

· The district internet web site is being furnished gratis = by an involved citizen.

· The new ambulance scheduled for next year is being assemb= led from a refurbished life support box on a new chassis found at substantial discount. The savings will be= in the neighborhood of $70,000.

· The Firehouse Subs restaurant chain granted the district $9,000 to assist in buying needed extrication equipment and equipment to be used in areas not served by fire hydrants.

· The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) granted $45,000 for public education materials to be used in the community and scho= ols within the district.

· Your firemen combined funds from Shelby County and Jeffer= son County to acquire and equip a trailer to refill SCBA bottles on the incident scene.

The future of the district:

1. = In 2000, Hoover and Bi= rmingham homes were allowed to leave the district with a onetime buyout of 6 times annual dues or eight payments of dues as they existed at that time to provi= de for income during the transition. Buyout payments are drawing to an end and will provide no further income.

2. = Loss of territory on H= ighway 280 by annexation to municipalities continues to be a threat to the financi= al health of the district.

3. = A survey of wages in t= he surrounding area revealed that our firemen required a 10% increase in pay to bring the department in line with the average and remain competitive with similar departments. A 5% inc= rease was accomplished this year and another 5% will be in the 2009 budget.<= /o:p>

4. = Fuel prices have great= ly impacted our operational expenses as they have yours.

5. = One ambulance will be = added.

6. = Two staff vehicles wil= l be replaced.

7. = CVFD will begin to contribute to and participate in Shelby County’s Central Fire and Res= cue Training Facility. This facil= ity is critical to the training of your firemen and will give them experience in actual fires under controlled and safe conditions.

8. = The contract with West= over will end.

9. = The state of the bridge crossing Lake Purdy continues to severely impact the district’s abili= ty to respond to the Rex Lake Fire District when the situation exceeds the capacity of the Rex Lake Fire Station and demands a back up response from o= ther CVFD units. The weight restri= ction and danger posed by the deterioration of the bridge prevent rescue units and fire pumpers from using Grants Mill Road from Highway 119 and forces respon= se vehicles to be routed down Highway 280 and Interstate 459 to Grants Mill Ro= ad.

Despite our best efforts to restrain expenses, we = have come to the point where an increase in service charges is required. You will note on your dues stateme= nt an increase in dues this year. W= e hope that you understand and continue to support your fire district and our goal= of providing you the best service available at the best cost.

Thank you

The Caha= ba Valley Fire & EMR District Board of Trustees

Joe Sarver, President

Lyle Mitchell, Vice President

Lyn Gibson, Secretary

Dr. Andrea Lamberson

Alan Reyes-Guerra