ELKINS — Elkins City Council approved the transfer of $50,000 from the city budget’s Financial Stabilization Fund to the Fire Fund to support the Elkins Fire Department, as well as the purchase and installation of a new transfer switch at the department.

During City Council’s Nov. 20 meeting, the nine present council members voted in favor of Resolution 1882, which authorizes “the transfer of $50,000 from the Financial Stabilization Fund to the Fire Fund.” Third Ward Council representative Christopher Lowther was absent from the meeting.

Before council voted on the resolution, Elkins City Treasurer Tracy Judy explained that she was requesting the transfer of money from the Financial Stabilization Fund to the Fire Fund due to the continued high costs surrounding fire protection.

“The costs have gone up tremendously, if you recall, we’ve had COVID where we saw costs go through the roof. None of those are coming down,” Judy told council. “(The Elkins Fire Department) have basically depleted their excess revenues, so it’s my request to get $50,000 out of Financial Stabilization and put it in their Fire Fund, and then we’ll have to talk in the coming months as to what we do from there.”

Judy stated that council will eventually have to consider funding the Fire Department in the same way the City funds other outside organizations, or possibly raising the fire fee for the first time in 10 years.

According to Resolution 1882, the City of Elkins has charged a Fire and Rescue Service Fee throughout its First Due Area since 2015, which has not been increased since its establishment.

“…Revenue from the Fire and Rescue Service Fee has enabled… (the Elkins Fire Department) to provide specialized technical training, and to acquire essential modern apparatus and equipment necessary for the protection of life and property,” Resolution 1882 states. “…although this Fee was once sufficient to fully support fire department operations, increasing costs associated with staffing, operations, training, and equipment now require that the City’s General Fund supplement the Fire Fund.”

The resolution also states that the Financial Stabilization Fund contains a sufficient amount of resources to help support an “interfund transfer for this purpose.”

Though Elkins Fire Chief Steve Himes was not present at the Nov. 20 meeting, Elkins City Clerk Sutton Stokes pointed out on his behalf that having the fire fee has helped the department get to “nine professional firefighters, three per shift.”

Elkins City Police Chief Travis Bennett added that, with the department having nine professional firefighters, response times have been quicker and the area’s ISO rating, or Public Protection Classification (PPC), had gone down, which causes reductions in the cost of homeowners insurance.

“Elkins should be very proud of its fire department, but that may translate to making some hard choices about future funding,” Stokes said.

The nine council members all also approved Resolution 1884, which authorized the “purchase and installation of new transfer switch at EFD paid from from the Coal Severance Fund.” A total of $11,400 would come out of the Coal Severance Fund for the purchase.

The total amount came from a quote from Universal Engineering & Contracting. In the quote, which was attached to the City Council meeting agenda, the amount of $11,400 would go towards the removal of the old automatic transfer switch mechanism and controls, installation of a new 400A120/240V 3 phase ATS and controls and programming and testing of the new transfer switch.

Before the council voted, Elkins Operations Manager Michael Kesecker explained that the transfer switch would be for the back-up generator in the event of a power outage.

“Should (the department) lose power, the transfer switch automatically switches the power to the generator so there’s no downtime,” Kesecker told the council. “I can honestly say, we’ve lost power at City Hall ever since the new generator was put in, and the transfer switch is like instantaneous. You don’t even know it’s running. Chief (Himes) needs this. It’d be a wise investment for the fire department.”

Judy added that Himes had looked into having the department’s previous transfer switch repaired; however, that was not possible. First Ward Councilman Cody Kerns commented that the previous switch was “completely fried.”