Sun Valley council authorizes Fire Services Agreement with Ketchum Rural Fire District

The Sun Valley City Council unanimously authorized the mayor on May 20 to countersign a Fire Services Agreement with the Ketchum Rural Fire District, a move council members said is intended to clarify service roles after a rejected consolidation vote in Ketchum. Council President Keith Saks made the motion, which was seconded by Council Member Brad DuFur and approved by roll call.

Public Safety Director Femling told the council that an RFP was prepared after Ketchum voters rejected consolidation and that the proposed agreement would allow Ketchum Rural to have its own chief. "We had a small fire today and all of the fire departments worked very well together," Femling said, citing recent mutual aid during an active response. Council members asked technical questions about simultaneous calls and how wildland-reimbursement would be managed under the new arrangement.

The council discussed how EMS funding is separate from the fire agreement: Femling told the council the ambulance district pays the City of Ketchum over $1 million to answer medical calls in the north valley, and that the item before the council was specifically a fire-services agreement rather than an EMS contract. Council President Saks said the City of Sun Valley would not lose money on the arrangement and praised Ketchum's fire leadership, calling Chief Robrahn "a bright young man dedicated to the City." Council Member Michelle Griffith said the city was prepared to proceed immediately if the council approved the agreement.

The motion to authorize the mayor to countersign passed with a roll-call vote in favor by Saks, Conard, Griffith and DuFur and no recorded nays. Mayor Peter Hendricks declared the motion approved. The council did not adopt any separate EMS contract at the meeting; a separate Ketchum discussion that evening was expected to clarify whether Ketchum would extend its existing contract until October.