What are your expectations for public safety in Great Falls?
Great Falls, Montana, has always been a community where quality of life is the number one priority – a place where residents can enjoy safe neighborhoods, send their children to school with peace-of-mind, be confident their homes and property are secure, trust that someone will respond in case of a medical emergency, and be assured the legal process will protect them and their loved ones. This is the desire and expectation of everyone who calls Great Falls home, and it’s currently at risk.
What impact is our funding shortfall having on public safety in Great Falls?
Single-family structure fires require a total effective response force of 16 members. Great Falls Fire Rescue currently staffs a response force of 13 members. 50% of GFFR calls occur simultaneously. This affects response times and available staffing for an effective response.
Fire & Emergency Medical calls have increased by 700% since 1969. First responders can only adequately address one major incident at a time.
Great Falls Fire Rescue recently received a lower rating from the Insurance Services Office due to lack of proper fire and medical coverage for a geographical area. This will cause insurance rates in our city to rise, mostly affecting businesses.
There are currently only 4 school resource officers for over 11,000 students and staff at 21 Great Falls Public Schools. SROs play an important role in mentoring youth and proactively deterring crime and conflict at our schools.
Great Falls Fire Rescue cannot meet the national standards for staffing or response times for structure fires. Risks to life safety and costs of fire restoration increase with every minute a structure fire is allowed to burn.