Dear Editor:
On Wednesday, January 19, there was a house fire in the Moon Valley area of the Alkali Creek neighborhood. KULR-8 reported a woman was trapped inside the home and Billings police officers helped her escape. Their story also said “emergency resources in the Heights were sparse and busy responding to other emergencies during this fire.” How much longer do the 30,000-plus Heights residents need to wait for the City to build a second fire station?
When the first Public Safety Mill Levy was proposed about 15 or so years ago, a second fire station in the Heights was discussed. Instead, the money was used to build the fire station at 54th and Grand. At that time, Councilmember Larry Brewster said the Heights would be in line for a new station if another mill levy passed. Instead, the City used the next mill levy money to settle a lawsuit the firefighters had filed. Before the mill levy in 2020, Battalion Chief Sean Biggins said the City was no longer planning to build a second Heights station but instead would house an additional fire truck and crew in the existing station. However, the City discarded that idea with last year’s mill levy and instead said they would no longer send a fire truck on every medical call which would mean the Heights crew would be more available.
Now, developers are getting close to beginning construction on a large multi-family housing project next to Medicine Crow Middle School. Is it time yet for a second fire station in the Heights?
Don Vanica
Billings, MT
