Berryhill Fire Protection District Seeks $2 Million in Bonds For Station Improvements And Ambulance Service

The Berryhill Fire Protection District has $2 million in bonds on the Nov. 5 ballot. The money would fund improvements to the fire station and establish Berryhill’s own ambulance service.

Fire Chief Michael Hall said the fire station was never finished during construction to save money. The metal building has open ceilings and exposed outer walls that Hall says don’t meet code for a building occupied around the clock.

The bond issue money would correct those problems and improve a large meeting room so it could be used for community events.

“We're taking this from a basic building and a really nice shell and fine-tuning it for the next 20 years to meet the needs of the community as it grows,” he said.

The ballot will have two propositions: a $1.3 million bond for improvements to the fire station. That bond is estimated to cost $17 a year for someone in a $150,000 home. The tax would be collected for 25 years.

The second bond is for $700,000 to buy two ambulances. It would cost a homeowner $8 a year over 10 years.

Currently, Berryhill Fire is the medical first responder but relies on EMSA to transport patients from posts in West Tulsa and Sand Springs. The Chief believes Berryhill needs its own service.

“We don't want to demand that the City of Sand Springs pays for our people or demand that the City of Tulsa manage our needs,” said Berryhill.

The vote is on Nov. 5. The establishment of the ambulance service would take almost two years, and Chief Hall said by then the fire station would be updated to accommodate the extra staff the ambulance service would require.