By Jim Reece  -

Sutter Creek Fire Chief Butch Martin gave information about the county-wide Measure M and told the Sutter Creek City Council on Monday how its passage could affect the city volunteer firefighting force. Martin told the council that if passed, the ½-cent sales tax would fund two full-time day-shift firemen in Sutter Creek and one full-time night-shift fireman for the city. Like all departments in Amador County, Sutter Creek would get the ½-cent sales tax and use the money only to pay its personnel, while using existing facilities and equipment. He said the November 4 Measure M needs a two-thirds majority of the vote to pass. Martin said “we ran this a couple of years ago. It was close, but no cigar.” Back then, the vote in favor was 64 percent, just shy of the 66.66 percent-plus-one vote needed to pass. He said 24-7 staffing at the Sutter Creek Fire Department would not mean three engines always at the ready. Instead, it would be good for a quick first response and it would make sure all of the engines were ready to go. It will not do away with the volunteers in Sutter Creek, Martin said, but it “will take the load off for a major incident.” Martin said “I know the economy’s not good right now, but we wouldn’t be asking for it if we didn’t need it.” Last year, fire department calls went from 525 to 630, more than a 100-call increase, adding, “I hope it doesn’t do it again this year.” 85 percent of those were medical calls. Martin said Amador County is the only county in California that will be getting firefighting funds from statewide Proposition 172 sales tax. “We raised heck about it and there is some money coming to Amador Country for fire,” he said. Five years ago, with a staff of 35 firefighters, he was “on top of the world” and never thought about consolidation. Now, they are down to 17 volunteers and he believes consolidation is the answer. He said three firefighters who volunteer for the city and himself handle the bulk of responses in town. The passage of Measure M will put 12 volunteer firefighters in locations around Amador County, at stations in Sutter Creek, Jackson, Pine Grove, Ione and Plymouth. He said he didn’t know what would happen if it didn’t pass. “It’s time to pass this,” he said. “I’d hate to see a good foundation fall apart.”