Supervisors pass resolution establishing wind and solar fire safety and emergency response standards

Just one week after passing an ordinance regulating commercial wind, solar, and battery energy projects, the Lee County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution establishing fire safety and emergency response standards for wind and solar energy systems in Lee County during their meeting Tuesday morning.

The resolution formalizes the roles and responsibilities of fire departments operating within Lee County in the event of any emergencies involving solar and wind energy setups.

“The priority of this (resolution) is the safety of the citizens of Lee County,” Fort Madison Fire Chief Chad Hannum told the supervisors during the meeting.

“The renewable energy sector (ordinance), as we know, you guys have been working on for a long time, and (more projects) are coming.

“Any type of call that would be associated with these systems is going to be technical in nature. It’s not (a situation) where the alarm goes off and we’re there for 30 or 45 minutes and then we go back home. It’s going to be a very detailed (operation).”

After months of discussions and work crafting the law that began last year, the ordinance passed by the supervisors last week is 49 pages long and covers a wide range of regulations pertaining to green energy industry projects and their partnerships with local property owners, including the following:

• General provisions
• Definitions
• Wind energy system sitting and design standards
• Solar energy sitting and design standards
• Battery energy sitting and design standards
• Conditional sitting permit review and approval processional sitting review and approval process
• Meteorological evaluation towers sitting permits
• Enforcement during each project’s lifespan
• Road use and mitigation of damages
• Wildlife monitoring and mitigation
• Emergency response protocols
• Rules governing decommissioning and abandonment

But the ordinance does not apply to individual property owners seeking to install wind, solar, or battery energy installations for their own personal use.

The fire and safety resolution passed on Tuesday lists the following fire departments as those designated to respond to any emergency incidents at any solar or wind energy project sites within their geographic service areas:

• West Point Fire Department
• Denmark Fire Department
• Wever Fire Department
• Montrose Fire Department
• Donnellson Fire Department
• Houghton Fire Department
• St. Paul Fire Department
• Des Moines Township Fire Department
• Jackson Township Fire Department
• Keokuk Fire Department
• Fort Madison Fire Department

Among those fire departments, the resolution dictates that each department who responds to any wind or solar energy-related fires or emergencies within their geographical service areas shall lead any necessary emergency responses and coordinate mutual aid as required.

The Fort Madison Fire Department will lead as the provider of any high-angle rope rescue and confined space services for all wind and solar-related incidents.

Lee County Ambulance will serve as the primary medical transport provider should any wind or solar-related medical emergencies occur. If they are unavailable, the fire department within jurisdiction will be responsible for coordinating an alternative medical services provider.

“I’m here representing not just the firemen of Fort Madison, but the firemen of Lee County,” Hannum said. “(We) absolutely do not want any firemen to get hurt in any way, shape, or form, either today or 20 years down the road.”

The resolution also outlines emergency service fee schedules and cost recovery rates, including those from fire, high-angle rescues, and confined space rescues as well as standby services, mutual aid, and damaged equipment costs.

Operators of any solar or wind facilities will also be required to provide annual training, at no cost, to the fire departments, including fire suppression and rescue techniques specific to green energy systems.

“This ordinance provides avenues to support the renewable energy sector as they are wanting to come to Lee County,” Hannum said. “They’re already here.

“But it also protects the fire departments, allowing them some avenues to recover costs since these incidents will be a long-term phase.”