The La Pine Rural Fire Protection District will ask primary voters next month to renew a five-year levy of 64 cents per $1,000 of the assessed value of a person’s property.

It’s the same rate that’s been in place for the past 20 years, said Chief Mike Supkis.

“Our board of directors is fairly conservative in that we only grow as the community grows,” he said.

The district is so frugal, firefighter-paramedics have their boots professionally re-soled in Portland and sent back, Supkis said.

The current levy will expire in July 2019. It provides funding for two 24/7 paramedic units, one firefighter-paramedic on duty at all times and operation of the district’s three stations — Huntington, Burgess/Day and S. Century Drive.

Supkis said that having more than one unit on duty is especially important in a district that sees an annual average of 459 “concurrent calls” — two or more calls at once. It sees three or more concurrent calls an average of 128 times a year.

There were a total of 2,379 emergency calls last year.

The measure was approved by voters in May 2013 by 2,815 votes to 550, or about 84 to 16 percent.

Supkis said it’s the widest margin of victory for a levy in Oregon history. The Bulletin was unable to independently verify this with the Oregon Secretary of State. The elections division does not track such information, according to a spokeswoman.

The district employs 22 career firefighter-paramedics and 12 volunteer student “resident/scholarship” firefighters, which provides an additional four people on duty per shift. The students attend Central Oregon Community College. Upon graduation, program alums are hired around the Pacific Northwest, Supkis said.

There are approximately 8,000 structures in the 1,175-square-mile district.

In addition to funding personnel, the levy allows the district to pursue grant matches for higher amounts. It also helps property owners in the district maintain lower insurance rates than homes in districts without a fully funded fire district.

— Reporter: 541-383-0325, gandrews@bendbulletin.com