How is the Deer Creek FPD funded?

As the Deer Creek FPD is an Oklahoma Title 19-901 fire protection district, it is funded through special assessment fees, similar to ad valorem taxes. Currently, the DCFPD receives 7.3 mills from Oklahoma County and 7 mills from Logan County. Unless the resident pays their taxes directly, usually these fees come out of the escrow account on the mortgage.

According to ACOG 911, in 2023 the average home value in Deer Creek FPD was $419,043. The assessed value of that home would be $46,094.73, which is 11% of the taxable market value. If that home were in Oklahoma County it would contribute $336.49 each year, and if it were in Logan County it would contribute $322.66 each year to our budget.

On August 27^th, 2024, the citizens of Deer Creek FPD will have the opportunity to vote to increase the millage rate for both counties to 10 mills. Based off of the average home value in the above paragraph, this would equate to an increase of $124.45 per year in Oklahoma County, and $138.28 per year in Logan County. For those that have escrow accounts on their mortgage, this increase would amount to $10.37 per month in Oklahoma County and $11.52 per month in Logan County.

 

What is the Deer Creek FPD budget?

FYE 2024 budget was $921,000.00. FYE 2025 is $1,087,500.00. The increase is due to receiving assessments from Logan County for the first time after the formal annexation voted on by the Logan County residents in 2022, which passed by a 92.98% approval rating. Here are some comparisons between some of the OKC metro fire departments:

Department	Budget	Square Miles	Population 2023	Call Volume 2023
Deer Creek FPD	$1,087,500	52.5 sq. mi.	9,243	676
Warr Acres FD	$2,226,311	2.8 sq. mi.	10,335	1,800
Bethany FD	$2,758,303	5.2 sq. mi.	20,261	3,200
The Village FD	$2,898,550	2.6 sq. mi.	9,318	1,650
Nichols Hills FD	$3,256,200	2.4 sq. mi.	3,826	750
Mustang FD	$3,762,206	12.1 sq. mi.	24,340	2,000
Guthrie FD	$3,951,861	18.4 sq. mi.	11,394	4,000
Edmond FD	$28,841,597	87.9 sq. mi.	97,054	10,000
OKC FD	$222,330,893	621.0 sq. mi.	702,767	70,000

*Some of these departments do not have to budget for fuel, utilities, capital expenses, etc., as those items may be covered by separate municipal expenditures for the entire municipality.

 

What is the growth like in Deer Creek FPD?

Our growth has been exponential since the turn of the 21^st century. Here are some numbers: 

 – Population in 2000 was 2, 541 call volume 169

 – Population in 2010 was 7,184 call volume 401 (183% population growth, 137% call volume growth in 10yrs)

 – Population in 2020 was 9049 call volume 640 (26% population growth, 60% call volume growth in 10yrs)

 – From 2000 to 2020 the district experienced 256% population growth and 279% call volume growth. 

According to a 2023 study for the Deer Creek Public School District, the current (23/24 school year) student population of the Deer Creek School District is 8,111 students. They are forecasting the student population will be 10,803 in the 29/30 school year, which equates to 33% growth.

 

How is the Deer Creek FPD staffed?

DCFPD began as a fully volunteer fire department. It added its first part-time paid firefighters in 2008, placing two firefighters at the station from 8am-4pm on weekdays. Around 2012, shift nights were assigned for volunteers to be dedicated responders on certain nights of the week, but this still meant them responding to the station and then to the location of the call. DCFPD remodeled Station 1, adding living quarters, in 2013. Some of those volunteers decided to start staying overnight on their assigned nights, and soon all of our volunteers did it. Station 2 was built in 2015 and the fire chief’s position went full-time. Around this same time period, the daytime staffing was changed to 7:30am to 5:30pm seven days a week with two people per day, with our volunteers staying overnight. In 2020, the first full-time firefighters were hired and placed on a 48/96 shift, and land for Station 3 was purchased. DCFPD is now staffed with a minimum of four firefighters during business hours (7:00am-5:30pm) every day of the week. Our volunteers are assigned night shifts and may pick up open day shifts. Due to the dedication of our volunteers, our station is staffed with a minimum of four firefighters, 24/7/365.

What is the Deer Creek FPD Insurance Service Office (ISO) Public Protection Classification Rating?

Our ISO PPC rating is a 3, placing us in the top 10% of fire departments in the state and nation. ISO PPC ratings are based on a 1-10 scale with 1 being the best. ISO PPC ratings are often used to help insurance companies determine property insurance rates.

What type of responses does the Deer Creek FPD average?

 – Our response summary from 2023 was a total of 676 calls. Of those, 15.38% were fires, 46.45% were rescue/EMS, 20.86% were good intent, 7.54% public assists, 6.36% alarms, and hazardous condition 2.37%.

 – Our response summary from 2022 was a total of 764 calls. Of those, 23.82% were fires, 41.23% were rescue/EMS, 18.19% were good intent, 8.12% public assists, 6.28% alarms and hazardous condition 1.96%.

The difference in those two years was rain. A dry fire season versus a wet one can make a huge difference in our call volume. Otherwise, our call volume was comparable between the two years.

The fires range from structure fires, grass fires, crop fires, car fires, and dumpster fires. The rescue/EMS calls include all medical calls, motor vehicle crashes (MVC’s), and swift water rescues. The good intent calls are typically fire alarms that we are cancelled on prior to arrival on scene. Our public assists can be anything from unlocking a car, lift assists, cows in the roadway, ducks in storm drains, putting birds back in nests, and the old cliché of cats stuck in trees or attics. The alarm calls are typically smoke alarm activation or CO alarm activations without any issue found. The typical hazardous condition calls are fuel spills, or gas leaks not involved in fire.

 

What level of services does the Deer Creek FPD provide?

The Deer Creek FPD provides a wide range of services to our community aside from the usual fire services. In terms of capabilities on other emergency calls we perform at the “Operations level” in Hazardous Materials response and Swift Water Rescue. We also perform Vehicle Extrication as needed on MVC’s. The Deer Creek FPD is a state certified EMR agency with individual protocols from the EMR level (first response) up through Paramedic level (advanced life support). We also do public education at schools, churches, and local organizations. We participate whenever possible within our community to help provide safety, education, and a good time.  

 

 

What departments aid the Deer Creek FPD and who do we aid?

To clarify, automatic aid means that we do not have to request the other department to respond as it is built into the dispatch plan and is automatically done for us. Mutual aid means that we have to request the other department and resources that we need from dispatch. All of the departments that we have agreements with respond to us and us to them. The Deer Creek FPD has automatic aid agreements with Oak Cliff FPD and Edmond FD. We also have formal mutual aid agreements with Cashion FD and Piedmont FD. Plans are being made to create an automatic aid agreement with OKC FD in the next year. Not counting OKC, the Deer Creek FPD responds to approximately another 75 square miles of designated aid areas.

The Deer Creek FPD also belongs to three different task force groups, which are Oklahoma County, Logan County, and Canadian County task force groups. Our members have gone on task force deployments for large wildfires as far as the Kansas and Texas borders. We have also deployed with task forces to assist with search and rescue after tornados in Piedmont, Moore, and Little Axe.

What makes the Deer Creek FPD unique?

Being a Title 19-901 fire protection district makes us one of 29 FPD’s in Oklahoma. Title 19-901 FPD’s only make up 3.8% of fire departments in Oklahoma. Title 19-901 FPD’s only exist in 14 counties, and we cover portions of two of them. As a Title 19-901 FPD we only cover unincorporated areas and our budget it solely our budget. We do cover 160 acres (1/4 section) of Oklahoma City limits as they annexed it from Oklahoma County but could not legally annex it from our Fire District.

Being a combination fire department that is mostly volunteer puts us in a group that makes up only 9.9% of Oklahoma fire departments. We have only been considered a combination fire department since 2020 according to state statutes. This places us in an even lesser percentage as a newer combination fire department.

We were one of the first departments in Oklahoma to utilize overnight staffing of volunteers. Our volunteers were assigned to nights in order to ensure someone was available to respond to any kind of call overnight. When Station 1 was remodeled in 2013 to include living quarters, one member began staying overnight. The rest of the volunteers on his night became annoyed when they would miss the first responding unit, so they started to stay the night. This spread to the other nights, and soon became the standard for our incredibly dedicated volunteers. Our volunteers average 6-7 nights each month at our stations purely for the opportunity to serve.

The Deer Creek FPD is a “farm team” for the larger metropolitan fire departments in Oklahoma. From 2018 to 2023, we have lost 53 members to larger paid fire departments. At first, it was seen as a problem. Eventually, we embraced it and now we have former members all over the state continuing to serve. We believe that the level of expectations we set for our volunteers, personally and professionally, makes them exemplary employees for the other departments, and for that reason we are proud to be known as a place people are referred to in order to gain experience.  

 

 

Quick Facts:

Square Miles:  52.51 sq. mi.

Stations:  Station 1, 20855 N. Meridian Ave.

                  Station 2, 22700 N. Pennsylvania Ave.

                  Station 3, SW corner of NW 220^th and Council Rd. (not yet built, but the property has been purchased)

Recent Call Volume:  650-750 per year

Staffing:  Minimum staffing at all times is 4 personnel

Roster:  4 full-time, 3 part-time, and up to 40 volunteers (limited to 20/station by state statute)

Apparatus: 

Station 1	Station 2	Station 3 (when built)
Engine 1 (2018)	Engine 2 (2010)	Engine 3 (1999 – formerly Engine 22)
Tanker 1 (2004)	Tanker 2 (2008)	Tanker 3 (not yet purchased)
Brush 1 (2022)	Brush 2 (2019)	Brush 3 (2006 – from Sta 1)
Brush 3 (2006 – will move to Sta 3)	Brush 4 (1972/1993 – 2.5Ton)
Brush 5 (2009)	Engine 22 (1999 reserve)

  Command 1 – take home vehicle for the Fire Chief  &  Command 2 – take home vehicle for the on-call officer