With diesel costing $4 per gallon, many rural fire departments are facing their own budgetary emergencies. The Northwest Arkansas Times [1] reported that Round Mountain's Fire Department has already spent $900 on fuel this year, as compared with $500 it had spent on fuel by early May 2007. Last year, fire dues went up from $40 to $60, but more increases may be on the way.
In Arkansas, "Most rural departments can count on county money and Act 833, a law set up in 1991 promising state money to purchase equipment and trucks, to set up their budget." The Nob Hill fire chief said his department receives "around $ 36,000 a year from the county and an additional $10,000 to $12, 000 from Act 833."
The Crescent News [2] reported on the problem in the Buckeye State. For the fire department in Defiance, Ohio, "the budget for fuel has increased by more than $4,000 in the past three years." U.S. Rep. John Boehner, of West Chester, Ohio, has been speaking out about high fuel costs and their penalty on rural Americans [3]. He noted that, "In Texas, volunteer fire departments are reducing their equipment budgets to be able to afford gas."
What kind of mileage does a fire truck get anyway? According to reporter Jenny Derringer, "there's no point in even trying to figure (it) out ... Upon arrival at a fire scene, a truck may be parked and running for several hours while firefighters tackle the emergency at hand." Water pumps and sprayers also consume fuel.