<p>Perry County Missouri Republic Monitor</p><p>Published on Thursday, May 24, 2001 12:00 AM CDT</p><p>Fire District proposed for south half of county by J. Cecilia Fallert, The Republic-Monitor </p><p>The property owner lights a small pile of leaves. The wind suddenly gusts and the tiny flame quickly races through the dry grass, taking on a life of its own. The frustrated property owner futilely attempts to bring the expanding blaze under control.</p><p>Chief Bernie Hoernig thinks that many property owners don't call firefighters as quickly as they should, because they don't want to pay the $350 which is currently assessed for a fire call.</p><p>"Now if they have a grass fire, they call their neighbors to help fight it," Hoernig said. "Then when it gets out of hand, they call the fire department.</p><p>"If we had a fire district, they can call right away and save on their nerves and body. You paid the tax so you would let the fire department fight the fire; it wouldn't cost you anything.</p><p>"Now (without a fire district) if we get called to someone's house, we charge them $350 minus the $15 for their fire tag."</p><p>According to Hoernig, first responders will also answer emergency calls. Additionally, residents would save money.</p><p>"This will also be a big savings in their insurance which they are going to notice in their premiums right away," Hoernig said.</p><p>Around 150 persons living within the proposed Southern Perry County Fire Protection District signed a petition to form the district. As designated by 911 mapping, the district includes 1,806 persons.</p><p>The proposed fire district has the Bollinger/Cape Girardeau County lines as its southern most boundary, Missouri Highway 51 on its northwest and U.S Highway 61 on its east with PCR 604, PCR 606, PCR 502, and PCR 506 together forming the fourth boundary. See map.</p><p>Assistant Biehle Fire Chief Jason Dauster said specific steps are required to form a fire district. "Our attorney is meeting with the Circuit Clerk (Becky Paulus) to get a court date," Dauster said. "The day in court is required so anyone can oppose the opinion. The judge will decide whether or not the motion for a fire district will be granted."</p><p>New fire station proposed</p><p>If the motion is granted, then in November voters will be asked to approve a fire district tax of 30 cents per $100 assessed property value. See related story.</p><p>A portion of that tax money will be used to build and equip a new fire station between Longtown and Uniontown.</p><p>"Some in the Longtown area are buying fire tags from Perryville (Perry County Rural)," Dauster said. "That makes sense because they are closer to Perryville.</p><p>"We have looked at several options and the one that would be most beneficial for the fire department and our designated 911 area is to become a district.</p><p>"By becoming a district we will be able to build another station in the Longtown and Uniontown area. This will provide a quicker response time for that area and bring everyone within a five mile area of a fire station; this will reduce their ISO (Insurance Services Office rating) and that way their insurance premiums will be reduced."</p><p>After Buchheit's Store in Biehle closed late last year, the Biehle Community Fire Protection Association income went from around $25,000 to less than $1,000 per year.</p><p>"Buchheit's Store was in the Village of Biehle and we were financed through a portion of the sales tax from the store," Hoernig said. "That gave us money for equipment, training, upkeep of our building and equipment, and utilities."</p><p>Without the sales tax base, the Biehle Fire Association has no financial base.</p><p>"A fire district is going to guarantee that a fire department will always be there," Dauster said. "We are going to run out of money if we continue this way. This will guarantee that we will be there."</p><p>The new fire district would still include the 19 volunteers now serving the Biehle Association. For $15 per year around 300 members buy a fire tag.</p><p>"I don't know of any fire department that has as many medically trained personnel," Dauster said. "We have four paramedics, two EMTs, and the rest have first responder training. "We have three firefighters who live in the Biehle area and work full-time as firefight ers in other cities. So there are a lot of firefighters and EMTs that bring a lot of knowledge and experience to help with the Biehle fire department."</p><p>The proposed fire district was first discussed in March at the annual meeting of the Biehle Community Fire Protection Association. More open meetings are planned after the fire district is approved in court.</p><p>Tax to fund fire district</p><p>Within its boundaries, the proposed Southern Perry County Fire Protection District includes taxable, tangible property of $7,949,000 and personal property of around $6 million, according to Chief Bernie Hoernig of the Biehle Community Fire Protection Association.</p><p>If the fire district is formed (see related story), voters will be asked in November to approve a 30 cents tax on every $100 assessed property value. All taxpayers within its boundaries will fund the fire district.</p><p>Potential yield is $18,000 annually for the district from the tax on intangible property and $23,000 from tangible.</p><p>"We are hoping to keep the cost of a new fire station (near Longtown and Uniontown) and equipment for it to $150,000," Hoernig said. The Biehle firefighters would reorganize into the Southern District.</p><p>"There is a lot of used, decent equipment out there. A lot of people say, 'Well, you have everything paid for,' but they don't understand all the training and maintenance that it takes to keep the fire department going."</p><p>Hoernig said that the Biehle Fire Association has been established for 10 years. It has assets of $479,000 and no debts.</p><p>Ruth Brown is the current president of the Biehle Fire Association. Other officers are Julie Bohnert - vice president, Michelle Ransom - secretary, Bill Hotop - treasurer, and Becky Buchheit - public relations.</p>