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New City Fire Response Policy Excludes Chilocco Indian Lands
NEWKIRK Sept. 27, 1990 - Fires starting on Indian Land will no longer be extinguished by the Newkirk Fire Department.
City Commissioners Monday evening voted to adopt that new policy, and to inform each of the tribes who own land in the area, the Chilocco Development Authority, and Narconon of their decision by letter.
Land covered by the policy includes the area of Chilocco leased by Narconon, the area controlled by the CDA, and the adjacent lands owned by the Cherokee, Ponca, Otoe, Pawnee, Kaw, and Tonkawa tribes. The policy does not affect the Kaw Housing development east of Newkirk.
The policy is not unlike that adopted previously which applies to Corps of Engineers land near Kaw Lake. The Corps of Engineers has a no pay policy, and has told the city to let fires on their land burn. City Manager David Haynes said fighting fires on Indian land is also a losing proposition. He cited an unpaid $1,400 bill sent to Narconon for fighting a wild trash fire, and an outstanding $300.00 bill for a fire run to Chilocco several years ago before Narconon entered the picture.
The Fire Department
will continue to respond to fires starting outside of Indian land, and
to fires that spread off of Indian land and threaten non-Indian property.
Privately, commissioners and the city manager agreed that in the event
of any life-threatening danger, the department would be obligated to respond,
no matter where the fire was located or where it started. Letters from
the city attorney notifying the proper officials of the policy change
should already be in the mail.