Public Safety

Levy Facts

A proposed public safety mill levy and bond were both sent to Great Falls voters in November 2023. 62% of voters were not in favor of the levy while 38% were in favor. The bond vote was much closer, but it also failed to pass. 54% of voters were not in favor of the bond while 46% were in favor.

It’s been more than 50 years since Great Falls voters have passed public safety funding – resulting in a bond that constructed our current four fire stations. Since then (1969), the footprint of our city has grown by 44% and the strain on our public safety system continues to increase. In an effort to preserve tax increases, a public safety levy to increase funding for additional personnel, fundamental resources and equipment, and training has never been passed. But after 50 years, our public safety departments (police, fire, legal, and court) are beginning to see the effects. And so is our community.

Great Falls in 1969: 18 square miles
Great Falls in 2023: 26 square miles

The Great Falls Public Safety Levy would have provided funding to keep the city’s public safety resources running adequately to service our growth.

Fire & Emergency Medical calls have increased by 700% since 1969

Due to the strain on our emergency response system, responders can only adequately address one major incident at a time which leads to longer response times for fire and medical emergencies.

Funding from the Public Safety Levy would have addressed the lack of coverage and allowed for quicker response times for the safety of our citizens and community.

Assaults on GFPD police officers have increased 183.3% since 2018. Persons resisting arrest has risen 66.2% since 2018.

Police officers are currently seeing an increase in violent crime and persons resisting arrest.

The Great Falls Public Safety Levy would have allowed for additional officers and for the purchase of necessary equipment for community and officer safety.

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 the time, more than one fire and medical emergency occurs simultaneously which is impacting the ability of our firefighters to address incidents safely and adequately.

Funding from the Public Safety Levy would have allowed for additional staff and resources to respond to emergencies.

9 hours spent being reactive daily, 1 hour spent being proactive daily

Currently, 90% of a police officer’s time is spent responding to active calls and only 10% proactively patrolling.

The Public Safety Levy would have resulted in additional officers and more proactive patrolling.

41% of the City of Great Falls is outside of GFFR’s 4 minute fire response coverage. The national standard requires a 4 minute travel time to 90% of all incidents for effective, efficient and safe protective services

Funding from the Great Falls Public Safety Levy would have addressed the lack of coverage and allowed for quicker response times.

5 School Resource Officers are responsible for over 11,000 students and staff

There are currently only 4 School Resource Officers (SROs) and 1 SRO Supervisor 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.

The Great Falls Public Safety Levy would have allowed the hiring of two additional SROs to help protect our schools, students, and teachers.

GFFR's Training Center is Deteriorating

GFFR’s training center has recently lost its remaining firefighting training props. The center also has infrastructure issues including asphalt failure, which has caused fire trucks to sink and become stuck. The training center was built in the early 1970s and has had very little updates since that time.

Funding from the Public Safety Levy would have helped repair the training center.

Compared to 2022, the 911 Communication Center 2023 saw an increase of 18.7% in the number of 911 calls in 2023.

In 2023, the 911 Communication Center received 44,335 911 calls and 81,559 non-emergency calls. The Communication Services Bureau continues to be short-staffed and had eight open positions at the end of 2023. The City often has to compete with the private sector for applicants. Additional funding would allow for more competitive offers for candidates.

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When comparing 2023 to 2022, there was a 141.8% increase in Fentanyl seizures and 198.5% increase in cocaine seizures by the Russell Country Drug Task Force.

These Russell Country Drug Task Force is run by the Great Falls Police Department. The task force partners with many agencies including the DEA, FBI, ATF, the Cascade County Sheriffs Office, and more. These significant increases in drug seizures means the need for an adequate number of police officers is imperative to the safety of Great Falls.

GFFR’s response times are longer than the national recommended standard

Longer response times means Great Falls residents are waiting longer for help to arrive. Every minute counts. Structure fires can double in size within a minute, and one minute could mean the difference between life and death in a medical emergency.

In addition, this issue can result in more expensive homeowners insurance premiums, as the chance of damage to a home increases with longer response times.

The Great Falls Public Safety Levy would have allowed the hiring of additional firefighters and EMS personnel, shortening response times.

Why do we need a Public Safety Levy?

Due to the growth of our city, the natural increase in inflation, and limits on tax revenue funding that are accessible by law, a public safety levy is the only option to provide the needed funding. The Great Falls Public Safety Levy would have cost approximately $280.11 a year for a home with an assessed market value for tax purposes of $200,000 if milled to the maximum. The mills would have provided important funding to allow fire, police, court, and legal services to adequately address the current and growing public safety needs in Great Falls.

How would have the Levy impacted our Public Safety?

What resources would the levy have funded?

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24 sworn police officers, including 2 SROs, along with equipment and training, to address rising crime

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2 additional 911 dispatchers to enhance resources for emergencies

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32 firefighters, safety equipment, and training to increase coverage and response times

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8 new court and legal positions and software to improve the efficiencies of our overloaded court and legal system

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New equipment and resources to keep our first responders efficient, effective, and safe