City of Greenfield has new Fire Dept

The city of Greenfield now has its own fire department. On Monday, July 1 the city's fire personnel were all sworn in. It’s a change from the fire and emergency services the city has had for over 70 years. Since 1940, the Greenfield Fire Protection District has responded to fire and emergency medical services in the city of Greenfield and the surrounding areas. However, this week, the fire district is now transitioning into a fire department. The major difference between a Fire Protection District and a fire department is where they receive their funding. The fire district mostly receives their money through property taxes which wasn't helping them as much financially as they had once hoped and they decided to receive money through the city's general fund and also from Measure C which was passed by more than two thirds of voters in a special election in May of 2018. The Fire Department will still be based on Oak Avenue. According to the city's website, Greenfield's population is expected to hit more than 42,000 people sometime in the next several years. Mayor Pro Tem Avelina Torres also feels that this change has to do with the medical cannabis industry that has come into Greenfield which is being used to fund fire resources and other projects in the city.